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FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 
























'Page 27 


“Then Little Dianda stopped and began to sing 






































































Frederick H. Martens 


Illustrated in Color 
and Black and White 

BY 

da Loria Norman 


Robert M. McBride £f Company 

New York - - - - - J 9 2 3 




























































Copyright, 1923, by 
Robert M. McBride & Co. 



Printed in the 
United States of America 



Published, 1923 


DEC-5'23 


©C1A7G0208 







TO THE FRIENDLY READER 


T HE delightful Fairy Books of many colors com¬ 
piled by the late Andrew Lang, whose stories were 
retold from the fairytale literature of many different 
countries, still maintain their deserved popularity. 
The fact that new books of fairytales are continually 
published and win appreciation, however, shows that 
existing volumes do not supply the demand. 

Now, one peculiarity of fairytale literature is that 
it is practically exhaustless. Just as there still are as 
good fish in the sea as have been taken out of it, so 
there are still as many lovely fairytales remaining 
untold as have been told. And of good fairytales the 
world never tires. 

In these “Fairy Tales from Far Away/’ the first book 
of a “Far Away” series, the compiler has gathered—for 
all children who enjoy fairytales—many new stories to 
amuse and entertain them. And, as in all good fairy 
stories, he hopes the readers will find in each some¬ 
thing worth remembering: some little lesson of brav¬ 
ery, devotion, generosity or kindness; some incentive 
to sacrifice, courage and courtesy. 

Most of these tales are folk fairytales; no one knows 
who first made them up; some are “art” fairytales, 


TO THE FRIENDLY READER 


invented by men and women with a gift for telling 
stories. Nearly all of them have been retold from 
other languages, and many hundreds were examined 
in order to find those which their readers would most 
enjoy and which would be most worth while enjoying. 

This being the case, the teller of the tales wishes his 
readers as much pleasure in the reading of these stories 
as he had in finding and narrating them. 

Frederick H. Martens. 


Rutherford, N . J. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The Homesick Bov. 1 

Never Run from a Lion. 5 

The Rattles of Siwara.17 

The Yboumbouni’s Tail.24 

The Story of Abdullah of Kfiorassan ... .30 

The Singing Tree, the Speaking Bird and the Golden 

Water.44 

The Stingy Peasant and the Beggar Monk ... 52 

The Daughter of the Moon.56 

The Web of Life.64 

Florisel and Meliande.73 

The Bearded Dwarf.83 

The Shepherd Boy’s Dream.100 

The Princess Who Turned Into Raw Cotton . . . 109 

The Tale of the Three Sisters.124 

The Count's Three Adventures 
Reinald, the IVonder Child 
The Key to the Enchantments 

The Three Waves.179 

The Fluteplayer of the Taihua Mountains . . . 192 

Flower of the Gardens.202 

Prince Unhoped-For.215 

The Emperor’s Daughter and Her Three Suitors . 232 
















CONTENTS 


PAG1 

Arcilus and Helen.238 

Four Little Tales of Buried Treasure.253 

The Magic Flower 

The Soul That Went Treasure Hunting 
The Old Man of the Wine cellar Hole 
The Fearless Flute-Player 

The Picture Over the Well.264 

Acoynapa and the Virgin of the Sun.277 

Het Famke.282 

The Three Magic Apples.288 

The Dream of Rustan.297 

The Wheel of Fortune.306 

Spiritus Familiaris.310 

The Faithful Lion.314 

Savitri.320 

The Talking Snuff-Box.330 

Brother Ahmed.340 

Sources. . .345 














ILLUSTRATIONS 


Colored 

The little Dianda stopped and began to sing . . f Frontispiece 

FACING 

PAGE 

The following morning the daughter of the Moon Queen came 


down the path of the moonbeams.62 

He realized that a monster fish was carrying his boat and him¬ 
self on its back.136 

When he played the third, white storks could be seen dancing 

opposite each other in the skies.197 

Black 


And there stood a throne on which he seated himself, while a 

beautiful girl sat down beside him.101 

“Fairy, are you here?” he cried in a trembling voice . . . 116 

The suitor with the magic spy-glass saw the emperor’s daughter 

lying sick unto death.233 

“In starboard, out larboard,” cried Het Famke .... 286 




















FAIRY TALES FROM FAR 

AWAY 


THE HOMESICK BOY 

O NCE upon a time, off the shore of a far part of 
Greenland, where only the Eskimos are able to 
live amid the endless stretches of snow and ice, a great 
ship from warm southern lands was seized by the ocean 
currents and shattered against the rocky coast. The 
great white sails of the unlucky ship were soon hidden 
by a raging snow-storm which arose; but the Eskimos 
could hear the cries of those on deck, although 
none could make their way to the ship through the 
storm. 

But when the storm died down the Eskimos climbed 

over the ice and went along the shore to see what had 

been cast up by the waves. And there they found the 

masts, with the tattered sails still clinging to them, 

spars and other wreckage, as well as boxes and kegs 

and barrels of food, and the bodies of those who had 

drowned. And last of all they spied a great wooden 

chest, riding high on the water. The tide had turned 

and was about to carry the chest out to sea when one 

of the Eskimos caught it and dragged it ashore. And 

l 


2 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


when he had tied a rope of walrus-hide to it an 
dragged it to his igloo, the hut of ice-blocks in whic 
he lived, he opened it. There, on soft cloths, lay 
handsome boy. His skin was not brown, like that o 
the Eskimos, but white as reindeer moss, his hair wa 
as yellow as cedar-wood, and his eyes were true blue 
like the summer skies. 

The white boy, whose skin was the color of reindee 
moss, grew up with the Eskimo boys of the igloos an< 
shared their games and sports. He learned to swim 
paddle a canoe, and to harpoon seals. Not a lad o 
the village could creep up on the seals when they lay 
basking on the ice as silently as he could. The Eski 
mos grew so used to him that they never thought of hi 
white skin, yellow hair and blue eyes, so different fron 
their own. They forgot that he had come out of th< 
sea in a wooden chest, and had not been born in ai 
igloo, and never thought of the time when he had no 
lived among them. Fie sang the Eskimo songs, hi 
ate and drank as they did when they gathered in a rin^ 
about the fire. The Eskimo women made him a coa 
of seal-fur and loved to see him dart by on his snow 
shoes, shouting with glee. 

Ten or twelve years went by and then—the boy wit! 
skin as white as reindeer moss, and hair as yellow a: 

cedar-wood and eyes as blue as the summer skies begar 

, 

to pine. He no longer sang the songs of the tribe, h( 
no longer hunted the seal, for he had grown homesick 






THE HOMESICK BOY 


3 


^or that land he had never known and never seen. 
There was room in his heart only for the longing he 
*elt, and more and more he left his companions and 
vent off by himself. When the sky turned red 
n the evening, he would lie on the cliffs that 
Overhung the shore. There he would stay for hours, 
ooking out to sea, toward the south, in the direction 
: rom which the great ship with the white sails 
had come. 

In vain the brown Eskimo boys who were his friends 
Pegged him to go hunting with them. In vain his 
? oster-mother and the other women worked soft moc¬ 
casins for his feet and dyed his leather straps with 
bright colors. He did not notice it. Spring was 
drawing near, and the nearer it came the more silent 
i(>rew the boy with skin like reindeer moss. At times 
Die did not seem to recognize any of those whom he 
):new, and would start up as though from a dream 
when they spoke to him. 

I And one day, when he had gone to snare sea-birds 
iilong the cliffs, he did not come back. He was gone, 
•md neither the Eskimos nor their dogs could find a 
race of him. He seemed to have vanished in the air. 
Borne years later they found some of the furs he had 
worn along the sea-shore. And then they knew he 
must have flown back through the air to his home 
country, where the skins of the people arc not brown, 
ike those of the Eskimos, but white as the reindeer 






4 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


moss. For the land of our birth is the land of the 
heart’s longing. There are no seas so wide and no skies 
so broad that they can keep us from trying to find our 
way back to it again. 


NEVER RUN FROM A LION 


O NCE upon a time there lived in a city of the 
Orient a young prince by the name of Azgiol, 
who was virtuous and intelligent—but, alas, a little 
cowardly! 

When his father died and Prince Azgiol was look¬ 
ing forward to his own coronation, his father’s old 
vizier came to him a few days before the time set for 
the ceremony, and told him that before he could take 
his place on the throne, he would have to comply with 
a venerable custom, one which had been observed ever 
since the foundation of the kingdom. According to 
this custom the new sultan would have to fight with a 
great red lion caged in the underground cellars 
of the palace, in order to show that he was worthy to 
rule. 

When he heard this, Prince Azgiol was so fright¬ 
ened that he at once decided to flee, and immediately 
put his decision into effect. Rising in the middle of 
the night, he dressed hastily, mounted his horse and 
rode out of the city. 

Three days after his shameful flight, Azgiol came 
to a delightful plantation of trees from which, carried 
on the pure, cool breeze, rose the most exquisite musi- 


6 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


cal sounds. These were made by a handsome youl 
who was playing a flute, while at the same time 1 
kept a watchful eye on a small flock of sheep. T1 
shepherd courteously saluted the traveller, who begge 
him to keep on playing, for never in his life ha 
Azgiol listened to such harmonious music. Then tl 
musician told Azgiol that he was the slave of a ric 
landowner named Oaxus, to whose nearby home 1 
offered to lead the fugitive. The prince grateful 
accepted this invitation, and a few moments later bo 
entered the house of Oaxus, who gave his visitor a co 
dial reception and offered him food and drink. 

When Azgiol had finished eating, he looked Oax 
in the eye and said: “No doubt you would like 
know who I am, and what brings me to this plac 
All I can tell you is that I am a prince whom certa 
events have driven from his country. Forgive me 
I do not reveal my name, for this is a secret which 
must keep with the utmost care. But if you have i 
objection, I should like to remain in this place. I a 
not without means, and can pay for your hospitality 

Oaxus assured the prince that it would give hi 
great pleasure to have him stay in his home as long 
he chose, and begged him not to hurt his feelings I 
offering him money. 

“And now, Isdril,” added Oaxus, turning to 1 
slave, “show the prince our fountains and our can 
groves, our rocks and our vales, for I am sure that i 




NEVER RUN FROM A LION 


7 


is capable of enjoying the surprising beauty of our 
natural surroundings.” 

Isdril obediently took up his flute and went out with 
the prince. 

After they had walked about the marvelously lovely 
countryside, the two sat down to rest in a shady little 
valley all abloom with flowers. Isdril raised his flute 
to his lips and commenced to play a melody which 
filled Azgiol with rapture and amazement. He began 
to think that, should he leave these pleasant surround¬ 
ings at some future time, he would, if Oaxus were will¬ 
ing, buy his slave, who was such an excellent musician. 
Suddenly the shepherd brusquely broke off the en¬ 
chanting air which so delighted the prince and, rising 
to his feet, said: 

“It is time for us to go.” 

“But why need we leave this beautiful valley so 
soon?” asked the prince. 

“The countryside hereabout is full of lions,” an¬ 
swered the shepherd, “and it is only prudent to leave 
the valley early. Once I forgot this, and I vowed it 
would never happen again.” And with this Isdril 
showed the prince a great scar he had on his arm. 

Azgiol grew pale and walked on in silence, speak¬ 
ing never a word. When they reached the house, he 
told Oaxus he had changed his mind, and that he would 
keep on travelling awhile instead of remaining with 
him. Then he thanked him for his hospitality, took 


8 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


leave of him and of Isdril, and rode off at a gallop. 

He pushed on for three days, and at the end of the 
fourth reached a vast desert in which, far in the dis¬ 
tance, he saw what looked like a camp half-hidden in 
the sands. Drawing nearer, he was rejoiced to see the 
black tents of a tribe of desert horsemen rise before his 
eyes, for he was eager to find human beings, since both 
his horse and himself were worn out with hunger and 
fatigue. 

The prince was received by a desert chief, a digni¬ 
fied and hospitable man. When Azgiol had broken 
bread with him, Hajaar, for such was the chief’s name, 
told the prince, just as Oaxus had done, that he wished 
no reward but the pleasure of his company, and that 
he should be his guest as long as he felt inclined. Then 
he made Azgiol known to most of the other tribesmen, 
and presented him with a magnificent horse, speckled 
black and white. 

Two days went by. Every morning Azgiol rode 
with the chief to hunt antelope, taking great pleasure 
in the chase, and thinking to himself that he could not 
have found a more happy and tranquil mode of life 
when, one night, after he had lain down to rest, Hajaar 
came to his couch and said: 

“My son, there is something I have to tell you. All 
my tribesmen are content with you, especially because 
of the skill you have shown in your antelope-hunting. 
Yet our life cannot be given over altogether to such 


NEVER RUN FROM A LION 


9 


pleasant sports. At times we have to fight fiercely 
against other tribes. Now, my men are all finished 
warriors and, before placing entire confidence in you, 
they would like to have you give proof of your bravery. 
Two leagues distant from this place are mountains 
filled with lions. Early to-morrow morning rise, 
mount your speckled horse, take my cutlass and lance, 
kill a lion, and bring back his skin. Then we will 
know that we can trust you in the day of battle.” 

No sooner had the chief left him than Azgiol rose, 
dressed, silently stole from his tent, and took a sad fare¬ 
well of the speckled horse which Hajaar had given 
him. Then he mounted his own, and fled from the 
camp of the tribesmen in the shadow of the night. 

On the evening of the following day he saw with joy 
that he had come to the end of the desert. He now 
rode through a picturesque stretch of country in which 
hills, green meadows and silver streams combined to 
form landscapes of magic charm. 

Finally, when he had ridden through a little wood, 
he found himself at the entrance of a splendid palace, 
which rose in the midst of a wonderful garden. Its 
owner, a wealthy emir, happened to be sitting at the 
moment in the portico of the palace, together with a 
golden-haired maiden. The emir received the prince 
graciously. He at once took him into the palace, which 
was even more beautiful within than without, for it 
dazzled the eyes with a multicolored profusion of gold 


IO 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


and precious stones. The walls and ceilings were 
adorned with the rarest arabesques and the windows 
glowed with stained-glass panes of the richest hues. 
When they had entered the palace, the emir at once 
offered his guest the most savory viands in great plenty. 

Azgiol made himself known to the emir in due form, 
giving his rank but not his name, and begged that he. 
might be allowed to remain for a time in his splendid 
dwelling. The emir courteously replied that he would 
b; glad to have him remain to the end of his days, if 
he so wished, and then asked to be excused for a few 
minutes, since he was expecting friends and wished to 
make the necessary preparations to receive them. 

Azgiol was left alone with the golden-haired maiden. 
She turned out to be the emir’s daughter, Perizida by 
name, and Azgiol realized that he had fallen in love 
the very first moment he had seen her. She took him 
to the garden and after having shown him all its beau¬ 
tiful flowers they returned to the palace. 

The halls of the palace, in which thousands of 
candles now burned, were filled with guests, whom 
Azgiol passed with Perizida by his side. In a quiet 
corner the young prince saw a lute lying on a divan, 
and asked Perizida whether she would sing a song to 
its accompaniment, a request which the lovely girl at 
once granted. Yet at the moment when the prince was 
in the seventh heaven of delight listening to her music, 
a strange roaring sound interrupted his enjoy- 


NEVER RUN FROM A LION 


ii 


ment. Azgicl asked Perizida what the sound might 
be. 

“Nothing at all,” replied the young girl with a 
smile. “It is only Bulak, our black gate-keeper, who 
is yawning.” 

“He must have a splendid pair of lungs,” cried 
Azgiol. 

When the guests had gone, and Perizida also had 
excused herself and retired, the emir and the prince 
sat talking for a while until the former said he would 
take Azgiol to the apartment in which he was to sleep. 
They were slowly walking along when, coming to the 
foot of the sumptuous staircase, all made of blocks of 
green and yellow marble, Azgiol was horrified to see 
an enormous black lion stretched out on the topmost 
step. With dismay in his voice he asked the emir how 
such a beast came to be there. 

“That is only Bulak, our black gate-keeper,” said 
the emir. “He is a tame lion, who will do you no 
harm if you are not afraid of him. But if he knows 
that you are afraid of him he turns ugly.” 

“I am afraid of him,” said the prince. 

And it was not possible for the emir to get him to 
go up the staircase. They had to return to the hall 
in which they had been sitting, and there Azgiol re¬ 
mained, to make the best of a divan. 

As soon as he was alone, Azgiol carefully locked the 
door and windows before he lay down. Yet he could 


12 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

not sleep a wink, for he could hear the lion pass up and 
down, and once the beast came to the door and, roar¬ 
ing terribly, flung himself against it, so that it trembled 
beneath his weight. 

Now, while he lay there sleepless, Azgiol com¬ 
menced to think things over. No doubt, he had of¬ 
fended Providence when he ran away from the old red 
lion who was kept in the palace, for ever since then it 
had fairly rained lions wherever he went. He made 
a great resolve to submit to fate, and do what was ex¬ 
pected of him. He determined to return to his own 
country and comply with the condition which would 
let him take his rightful place on the throne. 

Hence, no sooner did he meet the emir the follow¬ 
ing morning than he told him the whole truth. The 
emir, who had known Azgiol’s father, the Sultan 
Almamun, heartily approved of the young man’s reso¬ 
lution, provided him with everything necessary for a 
rapid trip back to his own land, and gave him his bless¬ 
ing as he rode off. Azgiol took leave without seeing 
the lovely Perizida again. 

On his way back, Azgiol passed the camp of the 
desert Arabs and, just as he had told the truth to the 
emir, he now repeated it to the kindly Hajaar. He 
also asked him about the handsome black and white 
horse which he had given him before. 

“Gladly would I have you remain with us and ride 
him again,” said Hajaar, “but I would not put any- 


NEVER RUN FROM A LION 


13 

thing in the way of your worthy enterprise. Return 
to your native land and do your duty like a man.” 

Then Azgiol visited Oaxus, to whom, as to the others, 
he confessed his name and his shame, together with 
his repentance and his new resolve. 

“Ride on your way, my friend,” said the noble land- 
owner, “and may Allah grant you the strength neces¬ 
sary to bring your enterprise to a happy ending!” 

Azgiol begged him to greet Isdril for him, and to 
tell him that he hoped to return some time to listen to 
his sweet music without fear of the lions. 

The prince then continued on his way until he 
reached his palace, and when he dismounted he told 
the old vizier of his resolve, to fight the red lion. 

The old man wept with happiness to see the prince 
back again and ready to undertake the battle with the 
lion. He at once made all arrangements for the ap¬ 
proaching struggle, which was to take place the fol¬ 
lowing week. At last the day and hour arrived, and 
the prince entered the arena in which the red lion was 
awaiting him. No sooner did he see his rival than the 
beast gave a frightful roar and drew near him, glaring 
at him fiercely the while. But Azgiol did not weaken. 
With eye untroubled and his head held high, he moved 
forward to meet the beast, holding his lance in his 
hand. As he came nearer, the lion leaped and, with 
another roar, passed above the prince’s head without 
touching him! Then he at once came running back 


i 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

to Azgiol and began to lick his hands as a sign of sub- 
mission. 

Now it was that the old vizier told the prince that 
he had won the battle and could withdraw from the 
ring. And as he went, the lion followed in his foot¬ 
steps like a dog. 

“You see, Prince Azgiol,” said the vizier, “that the 
lion is tame and quite harmless. But this you did not 
know, and thus you have proved your bravery in dar¬ 
ing to fight the beast. I can now tell you that you are 
worthy of seating yourself on the throne of your heroic 
ancestors.” 

Two men, one old, the other young, now drew near 
to congratulate the prince. They were Oaxus and 
Xsdril. 

“Prince Azgiol,” said the old land-owner, “as a re¬ 
membrance of the happy day I take pleasure in mak¬ 
ing you this gift,” and with these words he gave him 
his slave Isdril. 

“I thank you with all my heart, Oaxus,” answered 
Azgiol. And, turning to Isdril, he continued, “As for 
you, Isdril, you are no longer a slave! From this mo¬ 
ment on I declare you free. You shall be my friend 
and companion, and delight me with your exquisite 
music.” 

Next the desert chieftain, Hajaar, came forward, to¬ 
gether with some of his tribesmen and the black and 


NEVER RUN FROM A LION 


15 


white speckled horse, which had so pleased the prince. 

“Azgiol,” he said, “I congratulate you with 
all my heart and beg that you will take this horse as 
a gift!” 

The prince embraced the chief, thanked him and 
kissed the horse, which fondly nuzzled him in return 
for his caress. 

Last of all, the emir presented himself before Az- 
giol. He was surrounded by a splendid suite of at¬ 
tendants, with musicians and banners. 

“I have come to congratulate you, Prince,” said he. 
“I have brought you no gift, but I am yours, and all 
that I have is at your disposal.” 

“Your presence makes me happy,” Azgiol said to 
him; “but tell me, where is your daughter? And, 
once I have been crowned, may I come to visit her in 
your palace?” 

“You need not go so far to find her,” returned the 
emir. “Come with me.” And he led Azgiol to the 
side of Perizida who, her lovely face covered with a 
heavy veil of tulle, was sitting on a white horse and 
waiting for him a short distance away. 

Azgiol’s coronation and his wedding with Perizida 
were celebrated on one and the same day, and they 
reigned long and happily. One of the first things that 
Azgiol did after he became king was to set down this 
story of his adventures as a lesson to all princes—and 


16 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


others—who are a trifle cowardly. And on the big 
green gate of his marble palace he had graven in great 
golden letters the following words: 

Never Run from a Lion 


THE RATTLES OF SIWARA 


TN the great forests of the Orinoco, where the botuto, 
the sacred trumpet of the Great Spirit, sounds mys¬ 
teriously at night, and sets the enchanted white jaguars 
on red-rocked Mount Roarima howling, there once 
dwelt a Warau Indian who had a wife and four chil¬ 
dren, two sons and two daughters. One day he and 
his wife went to a neighboring village to take part in 
a great feast, leaving the daughters at home. After 
they had gone, when the daughters went to the brook 
to fetch water—for they meant to prepare kaschiri, a 
pleasant drink made of the sweet cassava root—they 
heard a peculiar cry. And he who cried was Siwara, 
the Spirit of the Wood, who was purposely deceiving 
them by calling with the voice of the great hawk. The 
girls then challenged the hawk, as was the Indian cus¬ 
tom, calling out: “Do not scream, but show yourself 
to us, or kill some game for us!” Yet in vain they 
called on the hawk, for it made no reply. But the 
girls, though they did not know it, had called upon 
Siwara, the Spirit of the Wood, himself, to show him¬ 
self to them. 

Not long after, when they had returned home, a 

young man came to the house. “Good day to you, 

17 



18 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


cousins!” said he as he entered the house, and then 
asked: “Where are your parents?” This was Siwara, 
the Spirit of the Wood, who had followed their invi¬ 
tation to show himself. So the girls told him that the 
others had all gone to a festival, and offered him 
cassava to eat and kaschiri to drink. When he had 
satisfied his hunger and thirst, Siwara told them to go 
to the edge of the forest and fetch the fat hokko hen 
he had brought them. And when they had done so 
he begged them to bring his hammock, saying that he 
would stay overnight. So they fetched the hammock 
and hung it at the far end of the house, and they heard 
no more of Siwara until the following morning, when 
before leaving, he told them to say nothing to their 
parents about his visit. 

Not long afterward their parents returned, and when 
they saw the fine roasted hokko hen they cried: “How 
did you get it?” So the girls said: “We saw a great 
hawk which had seized it, and we took it away from 
it!” Then ail sat down to eat the hokko hen, and the 
father, just as he was chewing a piece he had taken 
from the pot, bit upon a piece of blow-gun arrow. At 
once he turned to his daughters and said to them: “If 
a hawk killed the bird, where did the arrow come 
from?” Now the girls were forced to admit that an 
unknown uncle had brought them the hokko hen. 
“Why did you not say so at once!” cried their father. 
“Why did you not let us know that he had visited you 


THE RATTLES OF SIWARA 


19 


while we were away! Go at once and call him in!” 

So the girls went to the edge of the forest and called: 
“Daku, daku!” which means ‘‘Uncle, uncle!” And at 
once Siwara responded to their call. When he entered 
the house the girls’ father welcomed him, and he 
seated himself on the seat carved in the likeness of the 
kaiman, the alligator, which was offered him. 

“Thanks, thanks,” said Siwara, “I was here yester¬ 
day and kept your daughters company!” Now the old 
father was much impressed by Siwara’s appearance 
and his manners and so, on the impulse of the moment, 
he offered him his oldest daughter for a wife. This 
was just what Siwara wanted, and he at once turned to 
the girl’s mother and inquired whether she would care 
to have him for a son-in-law. She replied that she 
would, and so it was that the Spirit of the Wood ob¬ 
tained a wife, and took up his abode with her in her 
father’s house. 

For a time they all lived together in great happiness 
and contentment. Siwara, the Spirit of the Wood, 
proved to be a good husband and son-in-law. When¬ 
ever he went out hunting in the forest he came back 
loaded with game. And he also took the trouble to 
show his brothers-in-law how to shoot the tajacu, the 
wild pig, with the blow-pipe. They actually did not 
know what a wild pig was; formerly they had often 
brought home a bird and said it was a wild pig in their 
ignorance. Siwara took them along with him one day, 


20 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


and when they had reached a good place he whirled 
his magic rattle—of which you shall know more .anon 
—and the tajacu, wild pigs, hurried up, obedient to its 
call. “There are your wild pigs!” cried Siwara. 
“Shoot, shoot!” But the two brothers, who had never 
seen the tajacu before, were frightened, and climbed 
into a tree; so Siwara had to shoot three or four him¬ 
self for them to take home. Time went by, and after 
Siwara’s wife had given him a little son he was ac¬ 
knowledged as the heir to all that the family owned. 
Then Siwara brought his own property, which up to 
this time he had kept concealed in the forest, to the 
house of his father-in-law. 

Among the things which Siwara, the Spirit of the 
Wood, brought to his new home were the four magic 
rattles which he used to hunt the wild pig. Now, 
there are two kinds of wild pig, the tajacu, which wears 
a collar of white bristles about its neck and is harm¬ 
less, and the black pecari, which wears no collar, and 
is a savage and dangerous beast. For each kind of 
wild pig Siwara had a pair of magic rattles, one to 
call them to him and one to drive them away. They 
were beautiful rattles, made of polished gourds and 
adorned with the brilliant green and scarlet feathers 
of the colibri and the jacamatica; yet their outward 
beauty was not their greatest merit. For these were 
magic rattles made of the gourds of the sacred cala¬ 
bash-tree which Arawanili, the first of the sorcerer- 


THE RATTLES OF SIWARA 


21 


magicians, had planted on the island of Kaieri, from 
the seed given him by Orehu, the Mother of Waters. 

' And, like all the magic rattles that grow on the sacred 
calabash-tree, they had been filled by the power of 
Orehu with jewels of the ocean, the gleaming white 
stones which the Mother of Waters had gathered at 
the bottom of the sea, and with which she had filled 
the first magic rattle for Arawanili. 

So, when Siwara shook the magic rattles which 
called the wild pigs, they did not rattle like peas in a 
pod or like stones in an ordinary gourd. Instead, the 
gleaming white jewels from the bottom of the sea sang 
a song as they struck against the sides of the rattle. 
In the rattles which called the pigs, they made a lur¬ 
ing, compelling music, which filled the tajacu and 
pecari with a longing to hasten to its sound. And in 
the rattles which drove away the pigs, the white jewels 
sang with a voice that made them homesick for the 
densest and greenest shades of the forest, where the foot 
of the hunter never treads. The wild pigs did not 
know why they had to follow the lure of Siwara’s 
magic rattles, but follow it they did. And thus it was 
that Siwara always had good hunting. 

Now, when Siwara had hung up his magic rattles 
in the house of his father-in-law, he warned his wife’s 
relatives never to touch them, since if they did much 
misfortune would come of it. And all the family 
promised that they would not touch the rattles. Then, 


22 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


after he had warned them, Siwara went into the forest 
to clear a field. And while he was gone his brothers- 
in-law returned, and there Siwara’s beautiful magic 
rattles hung in a row on the wall. With their carved 
handles and richly-colored feathers they swung from 
their thongs in the breeze which passed through the 
house, and within them the gleaming white jewels from 
the bottom of the sea sang softly, O very softly! Yet, 
no matter how softly they sang, the hearts of the 
brothers were filled with longing to take the magic 
rattles and shake them so that they might hear them 
more clearly. So, forgetting what Siwara had told 
them, the older brother took a rattle from the wall and 
went before the house and shook it, and the more he 
shook it, the louder and sweeter grew its music, and 
the hearts of both the brothers were filled with delight. 

But, alas, the rattle taken from the wall was the one 
which lured the savage pecari with its song! And of 
a sudden great herds of these ferocious black pigs came 
hastening up from every direction. They came from 
far and near, and Siwara’s wife, his two brothers-in- 
law and the old folk had no more than taken refuge 
in the nearest trees, than they covered the ground about 
the house. And, alas, in her haste and excitement, 
Siwara’s wife had left behind her babe, which the 
furious pecari at once trod underfoot! From their 
trees the family now cried for Siwara to come quickly 
and drive off the savage beasts so that they might safely 



THE RATTLES OF SIWARA 


23 


climb down again. And Siwara came quickly, shook 
the magic rattle which drove away the pecari, and the 
black droves disappeared as quickly as they had come. 
Then, when they had all climbed down from the trees, 
Siwara looked for his child. Alas, it was not to be 
found! Then Siwara blamed his wife and her kins¬ 
folk for not having obeyed his command, and in his 
wrath and sorrow he left them for good and all, taking 
with him the magic rattles which had grown in the 
sacred calabash-tree of the island of Kaieri. And after 
Siwara had left them, there was no more good hunt¬ 
ing for that family of Warau Indians, and they often 
found it hard to obtain food, all because a promise 
made had been broken, and a word given had not 
been kept. 


THE YBOUMBOUNFS TAIL 


NCE upon a time, in the land of Gourmantie, 



^ there lived a boy named little Dianda, who want¬ 
ed to go hunting. He went to his father, Tangari, and 
said: “Father, give me a bow-string that is stronger 
than strong!” and his father gave him a bow-string 
made of plaited deer-skin, and Dianda went off to try it 
out. Yet no sooner had he fastened it to his bow and 
stretched it than it broke. Then back to his father 
went little Dianda and, one after another, Tangari gave 
him bow-strings made of wild cattle hides, koba -hide 
and elephant skin, but they all broke in turn when he 
tried them in his bow. 

Then little Dianda said to his father: “If I am to 
have a bow-string which I can use, you will have to 
draw a sinew from the calf of your leg and give it to 
me.” And, though it hurt, Tangari, who was fond 
of his boy, did as he asked, and little Dianda went 
away happy, for now he had a bow-string that would 
shoot when he went hunting. 

But as he left his father, the latter called after him: 
“You will no doubt wish to present me with the tail 
of some one of the animals you slay. If so, you must 
promise, my son, that you will bring me the tail of a 


24 


THE YBOUMBOUNFS TAIL 25 

yboumboum!" And this little Dianda promised 
to do. 

Now the yboumbouni is the most beautiful and pow¬ 
erful of all beasts. It is very, very tall and its strength 
is that of a hundred elephants. Its tail is long and 
tufted, and adorned with the whitest of ozim-shells 
and pearls of gold. And the yboumbouni uses its tail 
adorned with cauri-shells and pearls of gold to cap¬ 
ture the other beasts it pursues. When it has nearly 
caught up with the flying animal, the yboumbouni sud¬ 
denly turns its back on it, and snaps out its long tail. 
Then all its thousands of hairs, hung with pearls of 
gold, wind themselves around the limbs of its prey, 
and hold it so that it cannot move. 

Little Dianda, who wanted to catch a yboumbouni 
so that he could bring his father its tail, walked for a 
long, long time toward the East. It is from the East 
that all the wonders come, and little Dianda knew that 
he could hope to find a yboumbouni only in that direc¬ 
tion. At last he reached the great green forests in 
which the yboumbouni lived, and before he had gone 
very far into the forest, he came across the yboum¬ 
bouni's mother. She was all alone, for her young ones 
had already gone off hunting when little Dianda 
arrived. 

When Dianda told her the reason of his visit, the 
yboumbouni's mother said: “I am sorry one of my 
children must lose its tail, but a promise is a promise, 


26 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


and must be kept, and you shall have what you want. 
I will hide you in the canari, the store-room where I 
keep my dried meat, and you must not make a sound, 
for if my little ones find you they will at once devour 
you.” 

So she hid little Dianda in the canari, and when mid¬ 
night came and the yboumbouni were fast asleep, their 
mother cut off the tail of the youngest one, woke little 
Dianda, and gave it to him. Then the yboumbouni s 
mother told him which road to take to get out of the 
forest, and off he ran; for he knew he had better be 
on his way. 

# * * * * 

Now, every morning the young yboumbounis when 
they woke up sang their morning song, beginning with 
the oldest. So the next morning the oldest yboum¬ 
bouni commenced to sing, as usual: 

“I must see, for it’s on my mind, 

If my cattle-snare still hangs behind. 

I must see, e’er the dawn I face, 

If my cattle-snare is still in place, 

If still in place is my cattle-snare. 

Swish, swish, swish! It still is there!” 

Then each of the yboumbouni brothers repeated the 
song until it came the turn of the youngest brother. 
And he sang: 



THE YBOUMBOUNFS TAIL 


27 


“I must see, for it’s on my mind, 

If my cattle-snare still hangs behind. 

I must see, e’er the dawn I face, 

If my cattle-snare is still in place, 

If still in place is my cattle-snare. 

Swish, swish, swish!”— 

and then he broke off, for he could not swish his tail 
because it was missing. So he ended his song with: 

“It is not there!” 

Then all his brothers were very angry, and the 
angriest of all was the youngest brother. All of them 
set out and followed little Dianda’s tracks, sniffing the 
ground as they ran. Soon they had trailed him out of 
the forest and had nearly caught up with him, when he 
turned around and saw them coming. Then little 
Dianda stopped and began to sing: 

“O father of mine, the yboumbouni 
Is on his way to swallow me, 

Because his tail I promised you, 

And now I don’t know what to do!” 

Not one of the yboumbounis had ever heard a hu¬ 
man being sing before, and little Dianda’s song pleased 
them greatly. They stopped short, and the oldest said: 
“Let us go and fetch mother, so she may hear this curi- 



28 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


ous creature sing!” But when they hurried back home, 
told their mother what they had heard, and asked her 
to come with them and hear the creature sing, she said: 
“Run back quickly and catch it and bring it here!” 
So the yboumbounis ran off again to catch little Di- 
anda. But little Dianda had nearly reached his vil¬ 
lage by the time they caught up with him again. 

So once more he faced them and sang: 

“O father of mine, the yboumbouni 
Is on his way to swallow me, 

Because his tail I promised you, 

And now I don’t know what to do!” 

Then the yboumbounis again ran back to their 
mother, and a second time she sent them back to catch 
little Dianda. But by that time little Dianda was 
safe at home in his father’s house, and had given his 
father the yboumbouni s tail with all its white cauri - 
shells and golden pearls. 

As soon as little Dianda handed him the yboumbouni 
tail, his father, Tangari, touched the wounded place 
in his leg (from which he had torn the sinew for little 
Dianda’s bow-string) with it, and it was at once healed. 
Then he kept the yboumbounis tail as a precious </m- 
gris or talisman. Besides this, Tangari used it for a 
fly-flap, and it was the first fly-flap ever used by a hu¬ 
man being. And ever after little Dianda brought 


THE YBOUMBOUNFS TAIL 


29 


home the yboumbouni's tail with its white catiri -shells 
and golden pearls, men have been in the habit of using 
the tails of animals for fly-flaps. Men of the western 
lands across the sea saw the fly-flaps made of animals’ 
tails and made fly-flaps of other materials; but the first 
fly-flap came from the East—whence all the wonders 
come—and was made of the tail of the yboumbouni. 


THE STORY OF ABDULLAH OF 

KHORASSAN 


I N a green valley of the fruitful province of Khoras- 
san there once lived a peasant named Abdullah, to¬ 
gether with his wife Zeeba and their children—Yusuf, 
a boy, and Fatima, a girl. Abdullah was strong and 
healthy and tilled the fields for the reis or squire on 
whose land his little cottage stood. In payment he re¬ 
ceived grain and cloth, and these sufficed to feed and 
clothe his family and himself. As for money, Abdul¬ 
lah did not even know what it was, never having seen 
any in his life. 

One day, however, the reis was so content with 
Abdullah’s work that he made him a present of ten 
piastres, and Abdullah was so surprised and pleased 
with all this wealth that he could hardly stop to thank 
the master. As soon as possible, he ran home to Zeeba, 
his wife: “See, Zeeba, the riches that have been given 
us!” he cried, and spread out the money before her. 
Zeeba was as astonished and delighted as her husband, 
and the children were at once called in to share their 
parents’ joy. 

“And now,” said Abdullah, “the next thing is to de¬ 
cide what we will do with this vast sum”—for it seemed 

30 


ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


3i 


a vast sum to him. “The reis has given me to-morrow 
for a holiday and if you approve, dear wife, I will go 
to the famous city of Mesched, which I have never 
seen, though it lies but five or six miles away. There 
I will pray at the shrine of the holy Imam Mehdee— 
upon whom be Allah’s blessing!—and like a pious Mo¬ 
hammedan, offer .two piastres, one-fifth of my wealth. 
And after that I will go to the great bazaar, and with 
the money that is left, dear wife, I will buy everything 
you and the children would like to have. So tell me 
what you would like best!” 

Zeeba thought a moment and said: “I would 
rather you spent most of the money on the children, 
so all you need bring me is a handsome piece of silk 
for a dress.” Sturdy little Yusuf cried: “O father, 
bring me a nice horse and a sword!” “And bring 
me,” said his soft-voiced little sister Fatima, “an In¬ 
dian handkerchief and a pair of golden slippers!” 

“I shall bring back every single thing for which you 
have asked when I come home to-morrow evening,” 
said Abdullah, and the next morning, kissing his happy 
family farewell, he took a stout staff in his hand and 
set out for Mesched. 

The first thing Abdullah saw when he drew near the 
city were the splendid domes and minarets which en¬ 
circled the holy Imam Mehdee’s tomb, whose roof glit¬ 
tered with gold. When he entered Mesched he made 
straight for the shrine of the saint, and at the gate of 


32 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


the mosque asked a venerable priest who was reading 
the Koran whether he might enter and make his offer¬ 
ing: “Go in, my brother,” said the holy man; “give 
your alms and you shall be rewarded. Has not one 
of the best of caliphs said: ‘Prayer takes a man half¬ 
way to Paradise; fasting brings him to its gates; but 
it is charity which opens them to him!’ ” 

When Abdullah, like a good Mohammedan, had left 
one-fifth of his wealth, two piastres, at the holy Imam’s 
shrine, he hurried to the great bazaar. Here crowds 
of people filled the street, through which moved richly 
caparisoned horses, the splendid trains of nobles, and 
caravans of mules and camels; while in the rich shops 
were displayed all the wares of Europe, India, China, 
Tartary and Persia. Abdullah, pushed from side to 
side by those on foot, and nearly run over by those on 
horseback, looked about him with open mouth at every¬ 
thing he saw, until he was so confused that he made up 
his mind to finish his business at once and return to his 
quiet home. 

So he walked into a shop in which silks were kept, 
and asked for one of their finest pieces. The silk- 
merchant, looking at his clothes, decided he was one 
of those rich farmers who dress very plainly, though 
they have plenty of money. So, thinking he had gained 
a good customer, he brought out his best silks, and 
Abdullah was so bewildered by their beauty and va¬ 
riety that for a long time he could make no choice. 


ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


33 


At last he chose a piece of purple silk with a richly 
embroidered border. Wrapping it up and putting it 
under his arm, he said: 

“I will take this. How much is it?” 

“You are a new customer,” said the merchant, “so 
I shall only ask you two hundred piastres . I would 
ask anyone else three or four hundred for so fine a 
piece of goods.” 

Abdullah stared, laid down the silk and cried in 
amazement: 

“Two—hundred— piastres! Impossible! Do you 
mean piastres like these?” and with that he took one 
of his piastres from his pocket and held it up before 
the shop-keeper. 

“Certainly I do,” said the latter, “and it is very cheap 
at the price.” 

“Poor Zeeba,” said Abdullah, sighing at the thought 
of her disappointment. 

“Poor who?” said the silk merchant. 

“My wife,” answered Abdullah. 

“What have I to do with your wife?” said the silk 
merchant, irritably; for he began to fear he was not 
going to make a sale. 

“Ever since I was a boy,” Abdullah cried, “I have 
worked hard for the re is of our village. I never saw 
money in my life until he gave me ten piastres yester¬ 
day. I came to Mesched, and after I had left two 
piastres, a fifth of my wealth, at the shrine of the holy 



34 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Imam Mehdee, the descendant of the Prophet—upon 
whom be Allah’s blessing!—I came to the bazaar. I 
meant to buy a piece of silk for my wife, a pony and 
sword for my little boy, and an Indian handkerchief 
and a pair of golden slippers for my darling daughter 
with the other eight piastres. And now—you ask me 
two hundred piastres for one piece of silk!” 

“Get out of my shop!” cried the angry silk merchant. 
“Here I have been wasting time and rumpling my 
finest goods for a fool and madman. Get back home 
to your Zeeba, and your silly children! Buy them 
stale cakes and black sugar and clear out of my sight!” 
With these words he pushed Abdullah out of the door. 

“This fellow is a rascal,” thought Abdullah, “but 
there must be some honest men in Mesched. I will try 
the horse dealers.” And when he reached the horse 
market, and said that he wished to buy a handsome 
pony, twenty or more were at once trotted out for him 
to examine. After he had looked at a number, a smart 
little grey horse, with head and tail in the air, was led 
out and Abdullah, seeing Yusuf riding it in his mind’s 
eye, hastened to ask the price. 

“Not a piastre less than two hundred to any other 
person,” said the dealer, “but you shall have it for one 
hundred and fifty!” Abdullah stepped back in sur¬ 
prise. “Why, you horse-dealers are as bad as the silk 
merchants!” Once more he repeated the story he had 


ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


35 

already told the seller of silk, but the horse-dealer did 
not let him finish. 

“Get along with you, you clodhopper!” he shouted. 
“Go back to your Zeeba and your Yusuf and your 
Fatima, and buy your boy the sixteenth share of a 
jackass! That is better suited to your means than even 
a hair of the tail of the fine horse at which you were 
looking!” 

Off he went in a rage, leaving Abdullah dismayed 
and disheartened. “At least,” thought he, “I can buy 
some of the smaller things.” But the lowest-priced 
sword cost thirty piastres, the golden slippers twenty, 
and a small Indian handkerchief was twelve—four 
more piastres than he had. 

Disgusted, Abdullah turned his steps homeward, and 
was almost out of the city limits when he met a poor 
dervish who cried: “Charity! Charity! He who 
lendeth to the poor lendeth to Allah, and he who lend- 
eth to Allah shall be repaid a hundredfold!” 

“What is that you say?” cried Abdullah. 

And the dervish repeated: “He who lendeth to 
Allah shall be repaid a hundredfold!” 

“You are the only person in Mesched with whom I 
can do business,” said the poor, simple peasant. “Take 
these eight piastres —they are all I have—and use them 
in Allah’s name! But see that I am repaid a hundred¬ 
fold, for else I shall never be able to give my wife and 


36 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


children what I have promised them.” And then he 
told the begging dervish his story. 

The holy man, smiling at Abdullah’s simplicity, took 
his money, told him to be of good heart and rely upon 
a sure return, and then went his way, crying as before: 
“Charity! Charity! Who lendeth to Allah shall be 
repaid a hundredfold!” 

When his wife and children saw Abdullah nearing 
the cottage, they all ran out to meet him. Yusuf, quite 
out of breath, was the first to reach his father. “Where 
is my horse and sword?” he cried. “And my Indian 
handkerchief and golden slippers?” said little Fatima, 
who had now come up. “And my piece of silk?” in¬ 
quired Zeeba, close behind her daughter. 

Abdullah shook his head to all their questions, and 
would not speak until he had entered his dwelling. 
1 hen he seated himself on his coarse, straw mat, and 
told the tale of his adventures from beginning to end. 
And when he told them how he had given his remain¬ 
ing eight piastres to the holy dervish who was beg¬ 
ging, Zeeba reproached him with throwing away his 
money so foolishly, and was so angry and disappointed 
that she marched straight off to the reis and told him 
everything. 

The reis sent for Abdullah. “Blockhead!” he said. 
“What have you been up to? I am a man of wealth, 
yet I never give more than a copper coin to these ras¬ 
cals who go about asking charity. And you, who have 


ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


37 


nothing, give one of them eight piastres! Well, he 
promised you a hundredfold return, and I shall see 
that you get it. Seize him!” he then cried to his serv¬ 
ants, “and give him a hundred stripes!” The order 
was at once obeyed, and poor Abdullah went home 
with a beating, without a coin in his pockets, and dis¬ 
gusted with silk mercers, horse-dealers, cutlers, slipper- 
merchants, begging dervishes, wives, children, squires 
and all the rest of the world. 

The next morning the reis again sent for Abdullah— 
who in the meantime had forgiven his wife, kissed his 
children, and told them to cheer up since Allah might 
still show them favor—and said to him: “I have a 
job for you that will bring you to your senses, Abdul¬ 
lah! Dig here in this dry soil, and see whether you 
cannot find water. The water must be found, so see 
that you keep on digging until you strike it.” Ab¬ 
dullah said not a word, but went to work without de¬ 
lay, for he was not lazy; yet though he toiled for two 
weary days the ground was so hard that he made little 
progress. But on the third day, when he had reached 
a depth of seven or eight feet, his spade struck a brass 
vessel. Looking into it he found it full of round, white 
stones, beautifully smooth and with a fine lustre. 

He tried to break one of them with his teeth, but 
found he could not. “It must be some rice of the 
squire’s which has turned into stones,” said he to him¬ 
self. “I am glad of it, for he is a cruel master. But 


38 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

I will take them home, for they are pretty, and I re¬ 
member seeing some like them for sale in Mesched. 
“But what is this,” he added, as he drew another brass 
pot from the ground. “These stones are darker; they 
must have been wheat; but they are very beautiful. 
And these shining pieces of glass,” he cried, as he un¬ 
earthed a third pot, “are finer and brighter than all the 
rest. But are they glass?” He put one of them be¬ 
tween two stones, but could not crush it. 

Pleased with his discovery, and thinking he had 
found something of value, though he did not know 
what it was, he dug out all the stones he could find, 
and hid them in a bag which he concealed even from 
his wife. He planned to obtain a day’s leave from his 
master, and go to Mesched, where he hoped to sell the 
pretty stones of various colors for as much money as 
would buy the piece of silk, the horse and sword, the 
slippers and the Indian handkerchief. His mind al¬ 
ready dwelt with pleasure on the joy of his loved ones 
when they saw him riding home on Yusuf’s horse, 
loaded with the other gifts. But even as he dreamt 
these pleasant dreams, pious Abdullah had made up 
his mind that the holy Imam Mehdee should receive a 
fifth of whatever wealth he obtained. 

After some weeks of hard labor at the well, the water 
was found. As a result, the reis was in a good humor, 
and granted Abdullah his holiday. The latter left the 
little cottage before daybreak, so that no one might see 




ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


39 


the bag he carried, and when close to Mesched hid it 
under the roots of a tree, first taking out two handfuls 
of the pretty stones. Then he went into a shop in 
which he had seen others like them. Would they buy 
stones of the same kind, he asked, pointing to them. 
“Certainly,” said the jeweller; “have you one to sell?” 
“One!” said Abdullah. “I have plenty.” “Plenty?” 
“Yes, I have a whole bagful.” “A bagful? They 
must be common pebbles. Let me see them?” “Here 
they are,” said Abdullah and took out a handful of the 
stones, the sight of which so surprised the jeweller that 
for some time he could not utter a word. 

“Remain here a moment, my good man!” he then 
cried, trembling as he spoke, and hurried from the 
shop. In a few moments he returned with the cadi, or 
chief judge of Mesched, and some of his attendants. 
“There is the man!” said the jeweller, pointing to Ab¬ 
dullah. “I am innocent of all dealings with him. He 
must have found the long-lost treasure of Khosru. His 
pockets are filled with diamonds, rubies and pearls, 
whose value and lustre exceeds that of any now in exist¬ 
ence, and he says that he has them by the bag-full!” 

The cadi ordered that Abdullah be searched, and 
the jewels described were found. Then he was told 
to point out the place in which he had left the bag, 
which he at once did. The jewels in his pockets were 
put back in the bag again, the bag was carefully sealed, 
and then Abdullah was brought before the governor of 


4 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Mesched, who questioned him. Abdullah told the 
governor the whole story from first to last: of the gift 
of ten piastres, of his charity at the Imam Medhee’s 
shrine, of the purchases he had meant to make, of the 
actions of the silk-merchant, the horse-dealer, the cut¬ 
ler and slipper-maker, of his wife’s anger and disap¬ 
pointment, of the reis s cruelty, of the digging of the 
well, the discovery of the pretty stones, and his plan 
for selling them—not forgetting to mention the fifth 
of his gains he had meant to leave at the shrine of the 
saint. And Abdullah told his tale so clearly and sim¬ 
ply that the governor could not doubt its truth, espe¬ 
cially since it was confirmed by the testimony of his 
wife and children, who had been brought to Mesched. 

Yet, in spite of all this, Abdullah, his family, and 
the splendid treasure he had found were sent to Ispa¬ 
han a few days later, guarded by five hundred horse¬ 
men. And in advance rode couriers on swift steeds to 
inform the great Shah Abbas of the discovery which 
had been made and all connected with it: 

Now, while these things were happening in Mesched 
something very extraordinary had taken place in Ispa¬ 
han. One night the holy Imam Mehdee appeared to 
Shah Abbas the Great in a dream. He wore the green 
gown which only the descendants of the Prophet—on 
whom be Allah’s blessing!—may wear, and, looking 
steadfastly at the monarch, said solemnly: “Abbas, 
protect and favor my friend!” The Shah, much 


I 


ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


4i 


troubled by this dream, called on his astrologers and 
wise men to expound it; but they could not. On the 
two following nights the Imam appeared again to 
Abbas in his slumbers, and spoke the same words. 
Then Shah Abbas grew angry, and threatened the chief 
astrologer and the other wise men with death unless 
they relieved his anxiety. It was while the executioner 
was sharpening his sword that the couriers from the 
governor of Mesched arrived, and the vizier, after 
reading their letters, hurried to the Shah. 

“Let the mind of the Refuge of the World be at 
ease,” he cried. “The Shah’s dream is explained! A 
peasant of Khorassan, named Abdullah, poor and ig¬ 
norant, but pious and charitable, has become the in¬ 
strument of Providence in discovering the buried treas¬ 
ure of the great Khosru. He is the friend of whom 
the holy Imam Mehdee spoke in his dream, command¬ 
ing that this good and humble man be honored by the 
protection and favor of the king of kings.” 

Shah Abbas listened to the particulars sent him from 
Mesched with delight. His mind was relieved, and 
he ordered his nobles and his army to accompany him 
a day’s march from Ispahan to meet the holy Imam 
Mehdee’s friend. When he was informed that the 
party from Mesched was near, the Shah walked a short 
distance from his tent to meet them. First came a hun¬ 
dred horsemen; next poor Abdullah, with his arms 
bound, sitting under guard on a camel; after him, on 


42 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

another camel, followed Zeeba, and then came Yusuf 
and Fatima, riding a third. Behind the prisoners was 
carried the treasure. A hundred horsemen guarded 
each flank and two hundred covered the rear. 

Shah Abbas made the camels which carried Abdul¬ 
lah and his family kneel down close beside him. With 
his own royal hands he helped untie the cords which 
bound the holy Mehdee’s friend, while others released 
his wife and children. Then he ordered that Abdul¬ 
lah be clothed in one of his own robes, and led him to 
a seat beside the throne. Yet before he would agree 
to seat himself, Abdullah addressed the Shah as 
follows: 

“O King of the Universe, I am a poor man! But I 
was content with my lot in life, and happy with my 
family until I knew wealth. Since then I have known 
nothing but disappointment and misfortune. Have me 
slain if you wish, but spare the lives of my dear wife 
and children. Let them be restored to the peace and 
innocence of their native valley, and deal with me ac¬ 
cording to your royal pleasure!” And as he said this, 
Abdullah, overcome by his feelings, burst into tears. 
Shah Abbas himself was moved. 

“Good and pious man,” he said, “I intend to honor, 
not to slay you. Your sincere prayers and charitable 
offerings at the shrine of the holy Mehdee have been 
approved and accepted. He has commanded me to 
protect and favor you. You shall spend a few days 






ABDULLAH OF KHORASSAN 


43 


at my capital, to recover from your fatigue, and then 
return to Khorassan, whence you came as a prisoner, 
as its governor. A wise minister, who knows the forms 
of office, will go with you; but in your own piety and 
honesty I shall find the best qualities for the governor¬ 
ship of a great province. Your good wife Zeeba has 
already received the silk robe to which she looked for¬ 
ward with such pleasure, and I myself,” added the 
monarch with a smile, “will see that Yusuf gets his 
horse and sword, and little Fatima her Indian hand¬ 
kerchief and golden slippers.’ 5 

The Shah’s words and manner dispersed all Abdul¬ 
lah’s fears, and his heart was filled with joy and grati¬ 
tude. Shah Abbas kept his promise, and a few days 
later Abdullah was made governor of Khorassan, 
where his justice and charity soon became famous, and 
he did not forget to repair, beautify and enrich the 
shrine of the holy Imam, to whose guardian care he 
owed his fortune. Yusuf became a favorite of Shah 
Abbas, and was noted for his skill in horsemanship and 
his gallantry. Fatima married one of the principal 
nobles of the Shah’s court, and good Zeeba continued 
to be the cherished wife of her husband, who in his 
new and lofty position did not forget the ties and feel¬ 
ings which had made him happy when he was humble 
and obscure. 


THE SINGING TREE, THE SPEAKING BIRD 
AND THE GOLDEN WATER 


O NCE upon a time a king of France died, leaving 
three grown-up children, two boys, named Louis 
and Rene, and a daughter whose name was Marie. 
They lived with their mother, the queen, who had been 
ill for a long, long time. First, all the court doctors 
and then all the most famous physicians of France and 
of other countries had been called in to cure the queen 
of her illness. They had prescribed all sorts of reme¬ 
dies, but not one of them had succeeded in curing the 
evil from which she suffered. Finally, when it was 
clear that all the physicians could do her no good, the 
magicians were called in, and then the sorcerers. In 
vain, their wisdom was all thrown away. 

One day, however, a stranger passing through the 
town, heard at the inn in which he was staying 
that the late king’s widow was dying of an incurable 
malady. He at once asked to see the queen and 
* said to her: 

“There is but one way you can be cured, and that is 
by obtaining three marvelous objects npw in the hands 
of a terrible magician in the land of the North Wind. 
These three things are: the Singing Tree, the Speaking 


44 



45 


TREE, BIRD, GOLDEN WATER 

Bird and the Golden Water. The Singing Tree is a 
wonder-tree whose leaves give out the most heavenly 
music; the Speaking Bird is a great blue bird which 
tells all sorts of beautiful stories, night and day; and 
the Golden Water is a water which has the gift of 
curing all illnesses and putting an end to evil enchant¬ 
ments. Send out and obtain the Tree, the Bird and 
the Water, and you will be cured of your ill as soon 
as you have obtained them. But you must know that 
it is very difficult to obtain possession of them.” 

The queen richly rewarded the unknown who had 
renewed her hope of being cured, and at once took 
steps to send for some one to obtain the three marvelous 
objects of which she was in need. 

She had the bravest knights in the kingdom called 
to court, but they were deaf to all her pleas, and not 
one among them would undertake so dangerous an 
adventure. 

“If that be the case,” said Louis, her oldest son, “I 
will set forth to find the Singing Tree, the Speaking 
Bird and the Golden Water. I will start to-morrow. 
If I have not returned in three months’ time, it will be 

because some misfortune has overtaken me.” 

* * *- * * 

The following day, mounted on the best of his 
father’s three horses, and provided with arms and with 
money, Prince Louis took the road for the Land of the 
North Wind. Each night, when he stopped at an inn, 


46 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

he asked whether he were following the right road, 
and each night he was told that he was. 

At the end of eight days he came to a great desert 
plain; there was not a tree, not a house, not even a hut 
to be seen. All that was visible was a row of tall rocks 
in the distance. And, in spite of this and the fact there 
was not a soul in sight, he heard voices all around him 
laughing and saying: 

“To what end, Prince Louis? You will never re¬ 
turn from your journey! To what end? To what 
end?” 

Impatient, the prince set off at a gallop in the direc¬ 
tion of the row of rocks; but the voices kept following 
him, calling out: “To what end? To what end?” 

Suddenly the prince heard the hoofbeats of another 
horse galloping behind him. He turned around, and 
there was a tall old man with a long white beard which 
fell down to his waist. 

“What do you want of me, old man?” said the prince. 

“Oh, not much. I merely wished to ask where you 
are going at full speed across this desert plain.” 

“My mother, the Queen of France, is ill and I am 
going to the Land of the North Wind to obtain from 
a cruel enchanter three things which will restore her 
health: the Singing Tree, the Speaking Bird and the 
Golden Water.” 

“Do you know, young man, that you have under¬ 
taken a very dangerous errand? Those rocks, there 


TREE, BIRD, GOLDEN WATER 


47 


below, are knights who, like yourself, had gone out to 
seek the enchanter’s treasures, and whom he turned into 
stones. You interest me and I want to help you. So 
remember this bit of advice. When you reach the 
stone knights you will hear yourself called by name— 
but you must not answer. Invisible enemies will strike 
you, they will spit in your face, but you must not even 
turn your head. If you do as I tell you, you will reach 
the magician’s treasures without coming to harm.” 

Prince Louis thanked the old man and rode on his 
way. Soon he had reached the rocks which had been 
pointed out to him. 

“Prince Louis, Prince Louis, where are you going 
so gaily?” cried hundreds of voices. 

The young man did not answer. 

“Prince Louis, Prince Louis, where are you going 
so gaily?” the voices cried again, this time in a threat¬ 
ening manner. 

Then the prince began to grow impatient. He was 
tempted to turn in his saddle and cry: “What busi¬ 
ness is it of yours?” But he controlled himself and 
said not a word. 

Soon came furious cries and curses, then blows, and 
then his invisible foes were spitting in his face. This 
was too much. When he saw himself thus insulted, 
he a king’s son, he could no longer hold in, and forget¬ 
ting the old man’s advice he wheeled his horse with 
an angry word.— 


48 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

That very moment he was turned into stone, together 
with his steed. 

* # * # 

Three months went by and, as you may well imagine, 
Prince Louis did not return from the Land of the 
North Wind. 

Then, although the queen tried to keep him from 
going, Rene, the second brother, said farewell to his 
mother and sister Marie, mounted the better of the two 
remaining horses and set out to find Louis and the ma¬ 
gician’s three marvelous treasures. 

In fifteen days’ time he reached the great desert 
plain and, just as had been the case with his brother, 
heard the voices rise around him. 

“To what end?” they said. “To what end, Prince 
Rene?” 

But he rode on and met the old man who advised 
him not to turn round when he reached the enchanted 
rocks. When he came to them he at first bore the in¬ 
sults heaped upon him patiently enough, but in the end 
could no longer control himself and, wheeling his 
horse, was also turned to stone like his brother. 

When three months had passed and Prince Rene 
did not come back, Marie, the queen’s daughter, de¬ 
cided to set out in her turn. In vain her mother, who 
now had but this one child left her, begged her not to 
go. Marie, in order to do her duty by the mother 
whom she loved found the courage to resist her ten- 


49 


TREE, BIRD, GOLDEN WATER 

derest pleadings. She took the last of the late king’s 
horses, and, dressing herself as a country girl in order 
not to attract attention, she took her way to the Land 
of the North Wind. 

At night she would stop at some farm and sleep on 
a pile of straw in the courtyard or stable. It cost her 
three weeks to reach the great desert plain. 

“To what end, pretty princess? To what end do 
you journey? To what end? To what end?” the 
same voices which had spoken to her brothers called 
out to her. 

Soon the old man met her and advised her not to 
turn back, no matter what happened. And Marie 
promised him she would not and marched bravely 
toward the rocks. 

There she was insulted by thousands of invisible 
voices; she was struck, stones were cast at her and she 
was spat upon, but Marie paid no attention to the in¬ 
sults showered on her. Naturally, when she saw her¬ 
self treated in such a way, like her brothers, she felt 
the royal blood in her veins revolt. She longed to 
turn on her invisible enemies and cry: “Who are you 
cowards who gather in such numbers to strike a 
woman?” But the thought of her mother, who had 
to be cured, gave her the strength to endure every out¬ 
rage. Without a word, without a gesture, she con¬ 
tinued on her way, and before long had left the rocks 
which rose at the end of the plain behind her. 



So FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Having turned into the path which led to a little 
wood, which she entered still seated on her horse, she 
again met the old man who had already given her such 
good advice. With an amiable smile he showed her 
where she could find the Singing Tree, the Talking 
Bird and the Golden Water. 

“Here is the fountain of Golden Water,” he said. 
“Fill your gourd with it. Then, when you are return¬ 
ing the way you came, and reach the enchanted rocks, 
throw a drop of the water on each one of them and you 
will be surprised what happens. As to the Speaking 
Bird, carry him away in his cage, which is hanging 
from the Singing Tree. All you need do is to cut a 
single branch of the tree and replant it in your mother’s 
garden. There it will grow and thrive.” 

Then the old man left Marie, who hastened to cut 
the branch, take up the cage and fill her gourd with 
the Golden Water. 

When she had returned to the enchanted rocks, she 
threw a drop of water on each of them and all the 
knights, lords and princes whom the magician had 
turned into stone regained their original form; they 
as well as their horses. Louis and Rene, blessing their 
little sister, hastened to bring her back to their mother 
again. 

Before they left, however, one of the princes whom 
Marie had delivered from his enchantment, asked to 
marry her, but Marie refused him. 


TREE, BIRD, GOLDEN WATER 




Thanks to the marvelous treasures she had brought 
back with her Marie’s mother was soon cured. First 
of all, the wonderful tales told by the beautiful Speak¬ 
ing Bird distracted the queen’s melancholy thoughts; 
then the sweet melodies of the Singing Tree, which 
grew in size day by day, plunged her into a refreshing 
slumber, peopled with delightful dreams; and, finally, 
owing to the virtues of the Golden Water, of which 
she drank a few drops every morning, she was soon 
restored to a state of perfect health. 

Everyone said—and who could deny it—that Marie 
was a model of all that a good and intelligent girl 
should be. 

A year after her return from the Land of the North 
Wind she married the old man whom she had met in 
that far country. She wished no other husband but 
him to whom she owed her mother’s health and her 
brothers’ salvation; and she not only was grateful to 
him, but she loved him as well. And, marvel of mar¬ 
vels, as soon as the words had been spoken which made 
them man and wife, the old man was transformed into 
a young and handsome prince, and though she had not 
wished for the change, Marie was happier because it 
had taken place, for now she knew that they would 
have a longer stretch of years in which to live together 
in peace and happiness. 





THE STINGY PEASANT AND THE 
BEGGAR MONK 


O NCE upon a time a peasant had brought a wagon¬ 
load of pears to market. And since the pears 
were large and golden in color, he stood proudly in 
the market-place, and asked such a high price for them 
that none of those who passed by would buy from him. 
Finally a beggar monk, whose robe was torn and tat¬ 
tered, came up to the wagon, looked at the pears, and 
humbly said: “Give me one little pear!” 

“For money, yes,” said the peasant; “'without money, 
no!” 

“What?” said the beggar monk. “You have more 
than a thousand pears, and you will not give me one 
little pear?” 

Then the peasant shouted: “You lubberly monk, 
get you gone!” 

But others who had heard them came up and said: 

“Give the monk a small pear, or at any rate give him 

one which has begun to turn soft.” 

“I have no small pears nor any that have begun to 

turn soft,” answered the peasant. “I have come here 

to sell the pears, and not to give them away. I have 

a home, and a wife and a crowd of children, who all 

52 


STINGY PEASANT, BEGGAR MONK 53 


want to live. Give them away? How so? If I were 
to give away one pear, then everybody would come and 
ask for them. I might better become a beggar monk 
myself!” And the peasant did not stop scolding until, 
at last, a shoemaker gave him some money, bought a 
pear and offered it to the monk. 

The monk took it, thanked him with becoming mod¬ 
esty, and at once began to eat it. And while he was 
eating and was loudly sucking in its juice with puck¬ 
ered mouth, he said: “I have given up the world and 
care nothing for its treasures. I am glad to divide 
what I have with everyone. I have pears as beauti¬ 
ful as these are, and I invite you all to eat them.” 

“What?” cried the people in the market-place. 
“You have pears yourself? Then why not eat your 
own?” 

“There you have it,” said the peasant; “that is how 
these fellows are!” 

But the monk answered: “Before my pears can be 
eaten I must plant a pear seed.” And when he had 
finished the pear he was eating, he spat out one of the 
seeds into his hand; and, borrowing a spade from a 
workman who stood beside him, dug a little hole in 
the ground. In this hole he laid the seed and covered 
it with earth. “Now,” he said to one of the shop¬ 
keepers who were sitting at their midday meal, “give 
me a couple of spoonfuls of soup to water the seed!” 
At these words everybody laughed, and one of the 


54 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


men, in order not to spoil the joke, brought a little soup 
with which to water the seed. Then all watched the 
spot, motionless, without drawing breath, for the seed 
was already sprouting. The monk pushed those who 
crowded about the seedling away and it was time he 
did so, for it was already growing into a tree, and all 
had to make room for it, for fear of being struck by 
its spreading branches. All at once, there stood the 
full grown tree, as high as a house. And then, as 
though snow had fallen, it was covered with white 
blossoms, and following them leaves grew and rustled 
in the breeze. In another moment the blossoms had 
already fallen, and from all the branches hung great, 
reddish, sweet-scented pears, so many of them that the 
boughs were weighed down beneath the load. The 
monk then climbed up into the tree and flung down 
ail the pears he could reach; while he told the people 
to pluck the fruit hanging within reach themselves. 
And as quickly as the tree had grown and fruited, just 
so quickly was its fruit gathered and eaten. Then the 
monk climbed down, took up an axe and felled the 
tree, and loading it upon his shoulder as though it were 
nothing at all, went away as humbly as he had come. 
The peasant had stood on tip-toe among the others, his 
mouth wide open with astonishment as he watched the 
monk’s magic, and his eyes popping out of his head 
with surprise. But when the people dispersed and 
the peasant returned to his wagon, he saw that all his 


STINGY PEASANT, BEGGAR MONK 55 

pears had disappeared. Then he realized that the 
pears the monk had divided had been his own pears. 

Next he noticed that his wagon-pole was also gone, 
and could see it had just been chopped off. Full of 
rage, he ran after the monk, and when he came out of 
the city gate, there lay his wagon-pole in the grass. 
There were still some knobby places where branches 
might have grown, and a few dead leaves. And then 
he knew that the pear tree had been his wagon-pole. 
The people who had run along with him now began 
to laugh so loudly that instead of continuing to pursue 
the monk, the peasant thought it best to return quietly 
with his wagon-pole to his wagon, vowing to himself 
as he went that the next time a poor man asked him for 
a trifle he would give it to him. 




THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOON 


ONG, long ago, in the days that have passed, 



* Kimanauetze had a son who always sat in his 
kraal and pulled a long face. “Why do you not 
marry?” asked his father. “Because I care for no 
girl in our village.” “Then take one from the next 
village.” “I do not want one from the next village.” 
“Then go down to the sea and find one there.” “I do 
not want any girl who lives on this earth,” said the 
son. “What? Then where will you find one?” “The 
daughter of the sun and the moon is the only one I 
want.” “But how can any one get up there?” asked 
his father, relatives and neighbors. 

The son, however, had made up his mind. He went 
to the very first bird he met in the road and asked it 
to act as his messenger. “I dare fly no higher than 
the trees,” said the bird, “for there the storms begin.” 
Then the son went to the hawk. “I dare fly no higher 
than the hills,” said the hawk, “for there the clouds 
begin.” So then the son went to the eagle. And the 
eagle said, “I can fly to the clouds, but it is so cold up 
there that my wings begin to freeze.” And with that 
the frog came up to the son and said to him: “Do 
not worry, but write a letter and I will take it up.” 


56 






THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOON 57 

“Away with you!” answered the son. “If the best 
among birds dare not fly so high, how would you ever 
manage to get there?” “Never mind. Do you write 
the letter and I will deliver it,” was the frog’s answer. 
So the son sat down at a table and wrote a letter to the 
Moon Queen, asking for her daughter’s hand. “I, the 
son of Kimanauetze, beg permission to marry your 
daughter.” This letter he gave to the frog. 

The frog went to the well, where gliding down the 
thin moonbeams, the maids of the Moon Queen were 
accustomed to come to draw water. When they 
dropped their water-pitcher into the well, the frog 
quickly slipped into it, and the maids never noticed it 
and carried the pitcher up with him in it. When they 
had set down the pitcher in the front room up above, 
the frog climbed out, spat the letter out of his mouth, 
and laid it on the edge of the table. Then he hid 
himself. 

The Moon Queen soon found the letter. When she 
had read it she asked: “Who brought up this letter? 
Whoever wrote it dwells on earth, but I live in the 
heavens.” And she took the letter and laid it carefully 
away. When evening came the frog slipped into the 
empty pitcher and let himself be carried down to earth. 
Down below he climbed out of the pitcher and at once 
went to the son. “Your letter has been delivered,” 
said he. “But where is the answer?” asked the son. 
“Wait a bit,” said the frog; “you will receive an an- 




58 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


swer in due time.” But when six days had gone by 
without an answer, the son wrote a second letter. He 
wrote: “I have not received an answer to my first 
letter. Tell me ‘no’ or tell me ‘yes’; but it is not polite 
on your part to send me no answer at all.” Again the 
frog allowed himself to be carried up, and secretly 
laid the second letter where he had put the first. 
When the Moon Queen found the second letter, she 
said to her maids: “Are you the ones who bring these 
letters along?” And the maids said: “We? Bring 
letters? Not at all.” And now the Moon Queen 
wrote an answer. She wrote: “Son of Kimanauetze, 
you who are always writing these letters, why not first 
come up here and show yourself, before you expect an 
answer. And bring a betrothal gift with you, as is the 
custom.” Then she laid the letter in the same place 
where the frog had laid his letters, and left the room. 
The frog took her letter, allowed himself to be carried 
down by the maids who did not know they were carry¬ 
ing him, and at once took the letter to the son. 

The son at once jumped out of bed, opened" the let¬ 
ter and read it. “So you were up above, after all,” 
he said to the frog. And that very same night he wrote 
a third letter. He wrote as follows: “I am sending 
you herewith my betrothal gift. Pray let me know 
how large a wedding-gift I am to make.” Then he 
took eight gold pieces and gave them to the frog, to¬ 
gether with his letter. The frog said: “I will attend 


THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOON 59 


to everything. But I cannot go up again until next 
evening, for the road is too long to travel twice the 
same day.” And sure enough, when next she looked, 
the Moon Queen found the letter and the eight gold 
pieces on the edge of the table. When she had read 
the letter she told her husband, the Sun King, every¬ 
thing. And the Sun King was not at all angry, but 
said: “Prepare a good meal for the messenger who 
brought the letter.” Then, when the Moon Queen 
said: “But I do not know him,” the Sun King an¬ 
swered, “Never mind, but prepare the meal and put it 
on the table.” So a large chicken was roasted with 
maize and was put on the table, together with knife, 
fork and spoon. Then the door was closed. And the 
frog came out of his hiding place, climbed up on the 
table and ate with the best of appetite. He even wiped 
off his mouth on the napkin. Then he hid himself 
once more. In the meantime, the Moon Queen had 
written her answer. She wrote: “Dear son of Kima- 
nauetze r your letter and your betrothal gift have 
reached me safely. The wedding gift should be six 
times the amount of the betrothal gift.” This letter 
the frog took down with him. 

It took the son six days to get together so large a 
sum of gold, and he was worried besides as to whether 
the frog could carry it all up in his mouth. Yet the 
frog managed to do so, though his jaws ached. With 
the wedding gift the son sent a letter, in which he 


6o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


wrote: “Here is the wedding gift. Before long I 
myself will come to fetch my bride.” The moon- 
maidens were surprised that day to find how heavy 
their water-pitcher was. This time a whole pig had 
been roasted for the frog, and it took him a long time 
to make away with it, though finally he managed to do 
so. When he reached earth again, however, he felt 
too heavy and tired to hunt up the son that same night. 
Instead, he crept between some thick leaves and had 
a good sleep. 

The following morning, though it was nearer noon, 
when he went to the son, the latter was already im¬ 
patiently waiting for him in the middle of the road. 
“The wedding gift was duly delivered to those whom 
I visited,” said the frog, “but now you yourself must 
set the day on which you will call for your wife.” 
“Very well,” said the son, and let ten days go by. At 
the end of that time the son came to the well and said: 
“Frog, I need some one to fetch the bride down for 
me. But I can find no one to do it. Every one tells 
me: ‘I cannot get to the sky.’ So what am I to do?” 
“Do not worry,” answered the frog; “that is my affair.” 
“But how will you manage to bring me the bride? 
That will be too much for you.” “Do not trouble 
trouble,” replied the frog; “and do not think so meanly 
of my ability. I will manage it.” “Very well,” said 
the son; “then I shall let you try it.” 

That very same evening the frog had himself car- 


THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOON 61 


ried up and at once went to the room in which the 
Moon Queen’s daughter lay sleeping. For the first 
time he saw what a beautiful girl she was, and that her 
like had never yet been seen on earth. Then he spoke 
some magic words and deprived her of her sight 
so that when she woke the next morning she 

would not be able to see. The following day every 
one on the moon had long been up and about their 
work, only the Moon Queen’s daughter was miss¬ 
ing. “Where is the daughter?” everybody asked. 
So her mother went to her and said: “Why 

don’t you get up? There is more than usual to 
do about the house to-day.” And the daughter an¬ 
swered: “Mother, my eyes are closed and I cannot 

see.” Then her father, the Sun King, sent two men 

to ask the soothsayer for his advice. The men did not 
tell the soothsayer why they had come nor what had 
happened; but he rolled his magic dice and then said: 
“There is some one sick. It is a woman who is sick. 
And it is her eyes which are sick.” And then the 
men said: “So it is.” Then the soothsayer rolled 
his magic dice again and said: “The sick woman is 
unmarried. Her bridegroom has laid a spell on her. 
His spell says: ‘Send me my bride, else she will die!’ ” 
So the men went back to the Sun King and told him 
what the soothsayer had advised. And the Sun King 
said: “We will sleep one night on it. Then, to¬ 
morrow, she shall go down to earth.” The frog now 



62 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


quickly slipped into the pitcher, let himself be carried 
down to earth and hurried to the son as fast as his short 
legs would carry him, crying: “Hallo! To-morrow 
your bride will arrive! Prepare everything for her 
coming!” And then, for he did not believe him, the 
son beat the frog and shouted: “Away with you! I 
never want to see your face again, teller of untruths!” 
The frog answered not a word, but went to the well, 
and there hid himself. 

The following evening the daughter of the Moon 
Queen came down the path of the moonbeams to earth, 
followed by many maidens who carried her rich gar¬ 
ments and golden jewels. And the maidens wept and 
could not make up their minds to leave their mistress. 
But the daughter of the Moon Queen was quite happy, 
and beckoned up to them a long time after they had 
gone. Not until she stood there quite alone by the 
well, and her maidens had climbed high into the 
sky, so that she could no longer hear them, did 
she grow frightened. The rustling of the trees, 
something she had never heard on the moon, 
increased her terror. And she heard no step of the 

bridegroom who was to come to fetch her, and no voice 

• 

greeted her. She had already opened her mouth to 
call her mother like a little child when she felt some¬ 
thing on her foot, and heard a voice saying: “It is I, 
the frog! I will lead you to your husband!” And at 
the same time he said the magic spell he already had 



“The following evening the daughter of The Moon 
Queen came down the path of The Moonbeams '’ 

'Tage 62 


















THE DAUGHTER OF THE MOON 63 


spoken backwards and she could see again. She saw 
him and saw the trees and the radiance of the moon 
and went along with the frog. The son’s kraal was 
locked and fastened, and all were asleep. “Knock!” 
said the frog. So the daughter of the Moon Queen 
knocked. “Who is there?” cried the son. “Your 
wife,” answered the frog. And with that the son 
opened the door and came swiftly out, and looked at 
the bride and she at him. They had only eyes for 
each other. “Go to the well to-morrow and gather 
all the rich garments and the gold you will find there,” 
called out the frog and went away. 

But the son and the Moon Queen’s daughter only 
looked at each other and went into the house, hand in 
hand. And the son was completely covered by the sil¬ 
ver radiance which streamed out from his wife. 

The next morning all the people in the village stood 
on tip-toes and looked in through the window at the 
Moon Queen’s daughter. But she only laughed hap¬ 
pily at them, called out a few words in a foreign tongue’ 
and hid her hands beneath her dress because they 
shone so. 


THE WEB OF LIFE 


O NE day Ali ben Hassan, the vizier of the mighty 
Caliph Abdallah, was walking in the outskirts 
of Bagdad. From morning on that day, one thing 
after another had happened to vex him. To begin 
with, he had not slept well. Next, his oldest son 
Noureddin, who had left the house the night before, 
had returned home at dawn shamefully intoxicated, 
against the Prophet’s wise law, which forbids the use 
of wine and other fermented beverages. Again, the 
servant who always accompanied his daughter Amina 
to the baths, had informed him that for the fifth time 
in succession, a young man had passed them as though 
by accident and that Amina, while he was passing, had 
pretended to arrange her veil and managed to show 
her charming face to the unknown. In so doing she 
had offended one of the first rules of Mohammedan 
good behaviour. 

All these things had made Ali feel out of sorts. And 

then, when he went to the council of state, to wait on 

the Caliph Abdallah, the latter had received him 

coldly. A short time before a revolt had broken out 

in a nearby province. Ali had repressed it with much 

vigor, without letting the Caliph know anything about 

64 


THE WEB OF LIFE 


6S 

it; for he did not wish to disturb his royal master. But 
some of Ali’s enemies had told the Caliph, and the lat¬ 
ter now angrily blamed his vizier; first, for having 
allowed the revolt to occur in his kingdom; secondly, 
for having hidden it from him; and thirdly, for having 
repressed it by force instead of diplomacy. When Ali 
left the council-chamber he was very unhappy because 
—something which makes every statesman grieve—he 
felt that his credit had been weakened. 

No sooner did he reach home than his wife began 
to scold him. He did not let her have enough money 
to clothe herself properly, said she. The wife of the 
governor of the Caliph’s palace went about in much 
better clothes than she did, and, in fact, she actually 
did not have a thing to wear. Ali bowed his head be¬ 
neath the storm of her complaints, and told the servants 
to bring on his dinner. He hoped that a good meal 
would make him forget his private and public annoy¬ 
ances. But, unfortunately, this happened to be the 
very day when the cook had cooked nothing but dishes 
which Ali did not like. 

Desperate, Ali hurried from the house, left the city, 
and walked out into the country. “There are days,” 
he murmured to himself as he went along, “that tempt 
one to put an end to one’s self. Life seems enough to 
drive a man mad at times!” . 

The hot sun burned down on the highway the vizier 
had followed, and before long he was seized by an ir- 


66 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


resistible desire to find a shady spot in which to rest. 
After looking about for a while, he found a narrow 
path whose winding course promised to lead him to 
some cool and quiet place, and before long he came to 
a ruined mud-wall, above which rose a palm-tree. Ali 
gave a sigh of satisfaction and sat down against the 
wall, in the shade of the broad palm-leaves. No doubt 
he would at once have fallen asleep had he not been 
disturbed by a monotonous buzzing. The vizier looked 
first to one side and then to the other, and soon beheld 
a glittering green and gold fly circling above his head. 
Now, Ali was longing for the peace which comes with 
slumber, so he shooed away the fly once or twice with 
his hand; but the obstinate insect kept returning, and 
at last impudently settled down on Ali’s nose. 

This was too much. Ali shook himself briskly and 
struck a vigorous blow at his enemy without hitting 
him. But the fly, in its hasty flight, did not notice that 
it was headed straight for the web which a large spider 
had spun between an angle of the wall and the trunk 
of the palm-tree. As the fly blundered into the web, 
the vizier could not help but feel satisfied, and mut¬ 
tered through his teeth: 

“Now I think you will let me sleep for a while, you 
vexatious fly!” 

Then, his eyes still fixed on the green and gold fly, 
he saw a monstrous spider come out of the crack in 
the mud-wall. It had a belly as large as a man’s 


THE WEB OF LIFE 


67 


thumb, and its legs were long, black and hairy. The 
spider drew near its victim and began to strengthen 
the web near the fly, which was beating about in a 
frenzy of terror. In fact, the fly made such desperate 
efforts to rid itself of its bonds, that Ali could not help 
but pity its hopeless struggle. Though very weary, he 
did not wish to see his little enemy perish in so sad a 
manner. Rising, he frightened off the spider, and then 
released the fly from the web. 

“And now I hope you will let me alone,” he said as 
he opened his fingers and allowed the insect to make 
its escape. 

The fly spread its wings and Ali soon lost sight of 
it. Then he returned to lie down once more in the 
shade of the palm, closed his eyes and fell into a deep 
slumber. He was awakened by a voice calling him 
by name, and, opening his eyes, saw standing before 
him a being of radiant beauty and gigantic size. From 
the shoulders of this creature spread two transparent, 
gossamer wings. Ali knew at once he was in the pres¬ 
ence of a djinn . 

“Vizier,” said the djinn, “you have done me a real 
service. I was the fly which was buzzing around your 
head a short time ago. I had assumed the shape of a 
fly in order to drop my ordinary greatness for a brief 
space, and fly about freely in the sunlight. A wicked 
magician, an enemy of mine, turned himself into the 
spider in the web on the chance of catching me. I 


68 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


would not have escaped from him had it not been for 
your help. For you must know that, though we have 
the power to assume the shape of all living creatures, 
when we do so we run the same risks that they do. 
And when we are in danger we only can be saved by 
the help of man. You were kind enough to come to 
my aid, and as a return for your kindness you may ask 
a favor. I will grant any wish you may choose to 
make.” 

For a moment Ali did not speak; then he said: 

“Only an hour ago I was thinking that it is not worth 
while living a long life, because of the annoyances 
which spoil so many days of our existence. For this 
reason, it would be much better if we did not live so 
long. If it be within your power to do so, I shall ask 
you to do away with every day of sorrow in the years 
I still have to live. Let me live only those days which 
are truly tranquil and happy. If this is agreeable to 
you, you will have returned the favor I did you a 
hundredfold.” 

When he had listened to Ali’s wish, the djinn smiled 
in a mysterious manner and said to the vizier: 

“Have you thought over this wish carefully?” 

“Yes,” answered Ali. 

“Then let it be as you wish!” 

At once the djinn seized the vizier by the waist, and 
raised him so high that he lost his senses. When he 
regained consciousness, he found himself lying on his 


THE WEB OF LIFE 


69 


bed, in his house in Bagdad, with his body so cold and 
helpless that he could not make the slightest movement. 
His eyes were closed; yet in spite of this he could see 
all that was going on about him, and hear all that was 
said in the room, which was filled with people. There 
were his wife, his children and his servants, and all 
were shedding tears, and lamenting the loss of so good 
a husband, so good a father, so kind a master, and so 
faithful and noble a friend. 

And Ali thought, “Is it possible that I am dead?” 

“Yes,” answered the d']inn, who appeared at the foot 
of the bed, visible to no one in the room save Ali alone, 
whose thoughts he read. 

“Treacherous spirit,” thought the vizier. “Is this 
the way you keep your promise?” 

“Do not accuse me,” replied the djinn, “but blame 
your own stupidity for what has happened. Why did 
you ask me for the impossible? Two fairies are 
charged with weaving the destinies of men. At the 
beginning of all things, a mountain of white wool was 
piled up before one of the fairies, with which to spin 
the lucky days, and a mountain of black wool before 
the other, with which to spin the unlucky days. But 
one night, while the fairies were asleep, the evil one 
came along, and amused himself for a while turning 
the two mountains of wool upside down and mixing 
them together. The result was that when the fairies 
woke up, they found it impossible to separate the white 


70 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

V 

from the black wool. From that time on they have 
had to spin the days with the threads of the two colors 
mixed, and this is the reason why the days of life are 
made up of joys and sorrows. Think back on your 
life, and tell me whether there is a single day on which 
you have not had some joy, no matter how small! 
When you asked me to cut out of your life all the days 
on which you would suffer some disappointment, you 
really asked me to cut off your days altogether, for the 
only day that makes you free from all trouble on earth 
is the day of your death. I am sorry I had to give 
you this lesson, but you asked for it yourself.” 

“Unfortunately your lesson will be of no use to me 
now,” said Ali, “because I have died.” 

The djinn smiled and answered: 

“I am a kind-hearted creature. If you want, we 
will take for granted that you never told me your wish. 
I will take you back to the place in which I found 
you, and not a thing in your life will be changed. 
What do you say? Will you accept my proposal?” 

“Nothing would please me better,” replied the 
vizier. 

The djinn took Ali in his arms and everything about 
him disappeared from sight as he lost consciousness 
for the second time. When he once more opened his 
eyes, he was lying against the mud wall, in the shade 
of the palm-tree beneath which he had fallen asleep. 


THE WEB OF LIFE 


71 


Rising, he asked himself whether his adventure had 
really happened or whether it had merely been a 
dream, and, full of thought, took his way back to his 
home. 

When he entered the house the first thing that Ali 
heard was that his son Noureddin had been so sick as 
a result of his over-indulgence, that he had vowed by 
the beard of the Prophet never again to drink anything 
but water. Furthermore, he learned that the young 
man who had met his daughter so often on her way to 
and from the baths was the son of one of the richest 
and most influential merchants of Bagdad, and that he 
had formally asked for Amina's hand in marriage. In 
addition, the vizier found waiting for him a letter from 
his master, the Caliph Abdallah. It told Ali that after 
due consideration the Caliph had decided that his con¬ 
duct with regard to the revolt had been prudent and 
energetic, and assured him that he stood higher than 
ever in the royal favor. Finally, his wife had paid a 
visit to the governor of the palace, and her own eyes 
had convinced her that the latter’s dress was a perfect 
fright. As a result, she was in a state of high good 
humor. Even the cook had made good his neglect of 
the morning, and Ali was served with a delightful 
meal, made up of all his favorite dishes. 

Thus ended, in the happiest way imaginable, a day 
which had begun in the most unlucky manner, and 


72 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Ali, when he went to bed, admitted to himself, with a 
smile, that the djinn —whether real or only a figure in 
a dream—had given him a lesson in wisdom which he 
would never forget 


FLORISEL AND MELIANDE 


O NCE upon a time, long, long, long ago, there lived 
a king who had an only son named Florisel. 
And Florisel, the king’s son, was brought up with a 
little orphan girl, who had once been found in the 
forest, and whose name was Meliande. All day long 
the children played together in a great green meadow, 
picking costmary-flowers and pansies, blowing the sil¬ 
ver fluff from the dandelions, and winding chains of 
their stems. And Meliande played she was the mother, 
and baked little cakes of moist sand in a thimble. 
Meliande had a sweet voice, too, and there was one 
song she always sang when Florisel grew tired of 
play, and laid his head in her lap. Then she would 
wind one of his long blond curls around her finger and 
sing: 

Over the grass the soft winds blow, 

No clouds the sky are hiding; 

See, on a horse as white as snow, 

A little prince comes riding! 

Clover, grass and marguerite, 

Forget-me-not and buttercup, 
Bachelor’s-button, meadowsweet, 

See the white horse gobble up! 

73 


74 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

Farmer runs a-hurry-foot, 

Alas, alack! Alack, alas! 

Between the shafts white horse is put, 

Though he’d rather gobble grass. 

But coachman wears a coat of gold 
That sparkles where the sun it hits; 

Beside him on the box, behold, 

A really, truly princess sits! 

When they grew older, Florisel was taught to ride 
and to use the sword, and Meliande had to learn spin¬ 
ning, sewing, to play the lute and other womanly arts; 
so they did not see as much of each other as they had. 
Yet they had it all settled between them that some 
time, when they were altogether grown up, they would 
marry each other. 

Now, it happened one day that a stranger knight 
came to the court of the old king, Florisel’s father, 
who told many tales of foreign lands and brave deeds 
he had done in them. And his stories so excited 
Florisel that he made up his mind to put on his little 
suit of armor and mount his pony, and ride out into 
the world to try and do some brave deeds himself, see¬ 
ing that his ancestors had all been very worthy knights 
and gentlemen. Since he felt sure that his father 
would not let him ride out into the world seeking ad¬ 
ventures, because he was still so young, he made up 
his mind to say nothing of his plan to any one, save 


FLORISEL AND MELIANDE 


75 

Meliande, whom he meant to bid good-by and ask for 
a keepsake. 

The greatest adventure of all, so it seemed to him, 
would be to do battle with the Old Man of the Moun¬ 
tain and overcome him, for it was the Old Man of the 
Mountain of whom the stranger knight had told the 
most wonderful tales. He had said that the Old Man 
of the Mountain was a pagan who thought he could 
do as best pleased him in all things. And in order to 
prove it and at the same time carry out his evil de¬ 
signs, he lured young men to his castle. Once there, 
he led them to the highest peak of his mountain into 
a beautiful garden full of wonders, a garden sur¬ 
rounded by a high wall. There he gave them a cer¬ 
tain drink which caused them to fall into a deep sleep. 
In this sleep they dreamed the most wonderful things, 
and it seemed to them that these things really hap¬ 
pened, and were not a dream. And their dream was 
so mixed and mingled with the wonders of the garden 
that, indeed, none could tell what was unreal and what 
was real. 

The dream, too, was always the same: the youth 
dreamed he was walking in an enchanted garden, be¬ 
neath strange and unknown trees, whose fragrant blos¬ 
soms hung down above his head. Then he would 
come to an open meadow of the greenest grass, in the 
midst of which sat beautifully robed maidens who re¬ 
ceived him with sweet songs and the silver music of 


76 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


strings. When he drew near they rose, and their 
princess, who wore a glittering crown on her forehead, 
would lead him to the company. Then the hours 
would pass to the sound of music, while he ate de¬ 
licious foods and drank snow-cooled sherbets, and the 
maidens waited on him until he thought himself in 
Paradise itself, served by the angels. But suddenly, 
in the midst of all these delights, a cloud would cover 
the sky, and then all would disappear from sight, the 
youth would feel himself carried off, and when he 
opened his eyes again he would be lying on a couch in 
a bare room. 

Since the youths whom he misled thought that these 
dreams were really true, and believed the deceitful 
Old Man of the Mountain, who told them that his 
garden was indeed the garden of paradise, to which 
he held the key and to which he could admit whom he 
chose, they fell completely into his power. The pleas¬ 
ures of the garden were so great that they grew sad 
with longing for them, and no longer had any will of 
their own. Whatever the wicked Old Man of the 
Mountain told them to do they did; because then he 
promised to let them into his paradise again. And 
thus he made them commit the most evil deeds one 
could imagine. 

It was this evil Old Man of the Mountain whom 
Florisel meant to ride out against, and fight and do 


FLORISEL AND MELIANDE 


77 

away with, for the world would have been a better 
place without him. 

So according to his plan he said farewell to Meli- 
ande, told her what he meant to do, and hurried away 
in secret. Yet he encountered so many dangers, 
hindrances and adventures, that he lost time on the 
way and reached the land of the Old Man of the 
Mountain much later than he had expected, and than 
he had told Meliande he would. -For he had planned 
everything very carefully, and had told Meliande 
when he left her exactly when he would return. Now, 
when the time he had set had passed, and he did not 
come, Meliande thought that some misfortune must 
have happened to him in his encounter with the Old 
Man; and because she loved him she wanted to help 
him. For this reason she found courage to disguise 
herself as a youth and follow after him. When she 
left the house she never looked around, for she was 
afraid her heart might fail her if she saw the window 
of her little bedroom, where flowers grew in pots. 
And in due time she came to the castle of the Old Man 
of the Mountain, and reached it the very day that 
Florisel himself arrived. 

Now, in order to be well received by the Old Man 
of the Mountain, Meliande had hit upon the follow¬ 
ing plan: In his treasure chamber the old king, 
Florisel’s father, together with many other precious 


78 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

things, kept a skin with the feathers of a bird which 
had come from Paradise. For it happens that these 
birds which live in Paradise sometimes fly too high in 
the air, are blown by adverse winds from their course, 
and do not find their way back to their home again. 
Then, when they sink down wearied to earth, they are 
caught by hunters and their skins are sold to rich kings. 
They are sold to rich kings because they are the most 
glorious things ever seen, for their infinitely fine and 
delicate feathers show every color known, and gleam 
like the stars. Besides, as a sign that the bird truly 
comes from Paradise, it has no feet, for in the heavenly 
gardens it floats ever in the air, and is nourished by 
the rich fragrance which streams from the flowers 
growing there. 

It was the skin of such a bird that Florisel’s father, 
the old king, had in his vaulted treasure chamber, and 
when Meliande set out on her journey she secretly took 
the skin with her, intending to win the favor of the 
evil Old Man of the Mountain with the gift, and know¬ 
ing that Florisel’s father would not regret it if it were 
to help his son. So, when she was led before the Old 
Man, she laid the precious skin at his feet and told 
him the story of the bird. 

And when the evil old magician saw these precious 
and wonderful feathers, which were not of this world, 
and whose very sight was a blessing, he was greatly 
frightened and cried: “Now I see that in truth there 


FLORISEL AND MELIANDE 


79 


is but one Paradise, and One God who has created it, 
and that I am accursed forever because of my evil 
deeds!” With that he tore his garments in his fear 
and grief. But Meliande, when she v saw him weak 
and helpless, boldly asked where Florisel might be, 
and the Old Man told her he had led him into the gar¬ 
den but a few hours before, and had given him the 
sleeping draught. Then Meliande tore the key to the 
garden from his hand and hurried off to find Florisel. 

In the garden the song of many birds rose and fell, 
and a fragrance breathed which filled the heart with 
longing. From high columns hung great bunches of 
ripening grapes, and blossoms were opening on the 
branches of low-growing bushes. The ground was 
covered with smooth, bright-green grass, in which 
bloomed strange red flow T ers. Meliande was hardly 
able to breathe, all was so strange, yet she went on 
bravely. 

Before long she found Florisel. He was sleeping 
under a quiet tree with broad, spreading leaves. His 
left hand lay on his breast, and she could see him 
breathing quietly and evenly. She cried aloud in her 
great joy, and kissed him; but his face never moved, 
and he continued sleeping. Then her heart was seized 
with a sudden fear and she grasped his hand to raise 
him up, but his hand lay limp in her own. And when 
she called him loudly by name, a blissful smile crossed 
his face; yet Meliande knew that he was dreaming of 


8o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


the.OId Man’s false Paradise. Then the tears of her 
heart crowded to her eyes, and fell in great drops on 
Florisel’s face. And for a long time she bent over him, 
knowing he was dreaming of the vain delights of the 
Old Man’s Paradise, until it seemed as though her 
heart would break. But then she stopped, wiped the 
tears from her eyes, sat up again and began to sing the 
song she used to sing when they had played as children 
in the green, flowery meadow: 

Over the grass the soft winds blow, 

No clouds the sky are hiding; 

See, on a horse as white as snow, 

A little prince comes riding! 

Clover, grass and marguerite, 

Forget-me-not and buttercup, 

Bachelor’s-button, meadowsweet, 

See the white horse gobble up! 

Farmer runs a-hurry-foot, 

Alas, alack! Alack, alas! 

Between the shafts white horse is put, 

Though he’d rather gobble grass. 

But coachman wears a coat of gold 
That sparkles where the sun it hits; 

Beside him on the box, hehold, 

A really, truly princess sits! 


FLORISEL AND MELIANDE 


81 


And when Meliande had finished her song, lo and 
behold, Florisel sat up and opened his eyes wide! He 
recognized Meliande and kissed her, and both were 
happier than happy. Then Florisel began to feel 
ashamed to think that his brave plan of fighting the 
Old Man had come to such a sorry end; and that he 
had yielded to his arts and gone into his dream-garden. 
But Meliande comforted him. It had happened be¬ 
cause he was still too young for such an undertaking, 
said she, and in a few years’ time he would make 
good his failure. And this Florisel vowed to 
do. 

And now that they were so happy, they told each 
other all that was in their hearts, and made many plans 
for the future. Their hopes were like a little birch 
tree sprouting in the spring, pushing its way through 
the earth and brown leaves that covered it through the 
winter months. First two little shoots peep above the 
ground, delighting in the bright sun, the spring birds 
and the merry winds. The weather keeps growing 
finer and fairer, the last snows melt away, the earth 
turns green, colored flowers spring up, the butterflies 
come out and the little tree stretches itself. Then, 
with the sun shining warmly on its heart, the first pair 
of real birch leaves bud out: they look just like those 
on a large tree. And when the tiny birch sees its tall 
brothers moving slightly in the wind, their smooth 
stems rising to the skies, the sun shining through the 


82 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


green leaves of the upper branches, it stretches itself 
higher and higher, full of hope and happiness. 

Thus it was that the hopes of Meliande and Florisel 
grew and flourished. Then, suddenly, above their 
heads a golden sunray fell on a great, dark, ox-heart 
cherry hanging from the tree. Meliande rose and 
picked it and held it between her teeth, and Florisel 
kissed her and at the same time bit off half the cherry 
as children often do in play. But this was a magic 
cherry, like all the lovely fruits in the Old Man’s gar¬ 
den. And as Florisel and Meliande each swallowed 
half of the cherry their eyes closed, and they passed 
to those wonderful gardens where the birds of Paradise 
float above flowers whose fragrance never grows less. 
Hardly aware that they had done so, they passed from 
the highest moment of earthly happiness, which cannot 
last, into a happiness which knew no end. 


f' 


THE BEARDED DWARF 

1 \ /TANY hundreds of years ago there lived in an 
unknown land a king who had a daughter of 
incomparable beauty, whom his people, because of 
the admiration they felt for her charm and the sweet¬ 
ness of her disposition, had named Radiant Star, a 
name which seemed to fit her so exactly that she was 
never called by any other. As might have been ex¬ 
pected, many powerful princes aspired to gain her 
hand in marriage; but the princess, though she treated 
them all with great courtesy, could choose but one 
among them, and the one she chose was Prince Con¬ 
stance. When the king had given his consent, the 
two lovers set out one fine May morning with a splen¬ 
did suite for the church where the wedding was to be 
celebrated. 

A number of princes whom Radiant Star had re¬ 
jected had already sadly returned to their distant king¬ 
doms, but one powerful suitor, named Bulfstroll, had 
not gone off with the rest. He was a dwarf in stature, 
with a great hump on his back and a beard more than 
five feet long, a man wicked beyond all telling. He 

had remained behind because, willy-nilly, he had dc- 

83 


8 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

termined to gain possession of the princess, by fair 
means or foul. 

He was a magician, and in order to carry out his 
evil design he turned himself into a windmill at the 
very moment the wedding procession arrived at the 
church door, where, whirling around rapidly, he filled 
the air with a blinding dust. While every one was 
for the moment deprived of sight, and was trying to 
rub the dust out of his eyes, he seized Radiant Star 
and carried her up to the clouds, from which, in a 
short time, he descended to his subterranean palace. 
There he left the princess, who had lost consciousness, 
on a sofa. 

When the princess regained her senses, she found 
herself in a large, splendidly furnished chamber, evi¬ 
dently one of the rooms in a great palace, as she could 
see as soon as she was able to rise and examine her sur¬ 
roundings. 

Soon she noticed that an invisible hand had shoved 
a table covered with plates of gold and silver filled 
with the most appetizing dishes in front of her, and in 
spite of her annoyance she could not help but taste 
them. So good did they taste that she kept on eating 
until she had completely satisfied her hunger. Then 
she lay down and tried to sleep. But her eyes would 
not close, for she kept looking at the glowing golden 
dishes on the table, the magnificent furniture and every¬ 
thing else the room contained. Before long the door 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


85 


opened, and four negroes entered carrying a throne of 
gold and precious stones on their shoulders, on 
which sat the hunchbacked dwarf with the five-foot 
beard. 

Bulfstroll descended from his throne, and, drawing 
near the sofa, tried to kiss the princess’ hand. But 
she gave him such a tremendous box on the ears that 
he staggered and saw stars, and his ears rang till he 
heard the chiming of thousands of little bells. The 
dwarf could not suppress a cry, so loud and terrible 
that the whole palace trembled. But not wishing to 
show the princess how angry he was, he at once turned 
his back on her to march off again. Unfortunately, 
his feet caught in his long beard, and as he moved his 
body to one side in order not to lose his balance and 
fall, a little cap, which had the gift of making its 
wearer invisible, dropped from his hand without his 
noticing it. The negroes now ran up to support their 
master, and having once more seated him upon the 
throne, all hastily retired. 

As soon as the princess was rid of them, she rose 
from the sofa, shot the bolt of the door and then, moved 
by a sudden fancy, put on the little cap and stepped 
over to a mirror to see how she looked in it. Imagine 
her surprise at finding that the mirror did not reflect 
her image! She took off the cap and looked once 
more into the mirror, and then realized why she had 
not seen herself the first time. So she put on the magic 



86 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


cap and walked around the room, very well satisfied 
with herself. 

A short time after the door flew violently open, and 
the dwarf with his inconvenient beard flung over his 
shoulder, so that it would not trip him when walking, 
entered. As he could see neither the princess nor the 
cap which he had lost, he knew what must have hap¬ 
pened, and began to grope in every corner of the room 
and feel of all the furniture, even raising the cushions 
on the sofa. While he devoted himself to this vain 
search, the princess, invisible, thanks to the little cap, 
left the palace and took refuge in the garden, which 
was very beautiful and so large that it seemed endless. 

There she lived peacefully, eating the delicious 
fruits that grew on the trees and bushes, drinking pure 
water from a spring, and laughing at the helpless rage 
of the dwarf, who never gave over hunting for her. 
Sometimes she would amuse herself by throwing plum- 
pits at him, or by taking off the cap for a moment to 
tantalize him and mock him to his face. 

One day when she was enjoying herself in this way, 
the cap caught in the thorny branches of a cluster of 
currant-bushes, and the dwarf took advantage of the 
opportunity to catch her. He was about to seize the 
cap as well when the air resounded with the war-like 
blasts of a trumpet. 

Uttering a thousand curses and trembling with rage, 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


87 


he released the princess, instantly casting her into a 
deep slumber by means of his magic arts, and drawing 
his two-edged sword, rose up to the clouds in order to 
plunge down upon whichever person had provoked 
him, and kill him with a single blow of his weapon. 

But before we go any further, let us leave him in 
the clouds, and return to the moment when the princess 
had been carried off by the dwarf in front of the 
church door. 

.'Jl -'a f . 45. A 

The whirlwind of dust which had thrown the wed¬ 
ding procession into confusion caused a great tumult, 
and when it was over, the father of Radiant Star and 
Prince Constance looked for her everywhere, calling 
her by name, until the king, realizing that all his 
efforts were vain, issued a proclamation promising to 
accept as his son-in-law and give half his kingdom to 
the man who found his daughter, and brought her 
safely home again. Without losing a moment, all the 
young princes who hoped to gain the prize mounted 
their horses and galloped off in every direction. 

Prince Constance, who also sallied force to search 
for his betrothed, rode for three days and three nights 
without stopping to eat, drink or sleep, until well along 
in the afternoon of the third day, tired out, he halted 
his horse in a green meadow and dismounted with 
the intention of taking a few moments’ rest. But no 

/ 


88 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


sooner had his foot left the stirrup than the most pitiful 
cries reached his ear, and he saw before him a poor 
rabbit in whose back an owl of tremendous size had 
sunk its claws. The prince at once picked up some¬ 
thing which he thought was a stone (in reality it was 
a skull), and flung it with such skill that he killed the 
owl. Delivered of its enemy, the rabbit ran to the 
prince and after having turned various somersaults in 
order to show its gratitude, went its way. And then 
the skull which the prince had flung at the owl spoke 
as follows: 

“I must thank you, Prince Constance, for the service 
you have done me! I once belonged to an unfortunate 
man who was guilty of many crimes, and was con¬ 
demned to roll about in the dust until that day when I 
could find some way of saving the life of one of God’s 
creatures. For more than seven hundred and seventy 
years I have been rolling around in the dust, and in all 
that time not a single human being has paid the slight¬ 
est attention to me. You have delivered me from the 
penance imposed on me for my crimes, by helping me 
save that poor rabbit, and to prove my gratitude for 
the favor you have done me, I will show you how to 
call a magic horse which belonged to me while I was 
alive, and which will help you in a thousand ways. 
When you want the horse, all you need do is to stand 
in a field and, with your eyes turned neither to the 
right nor to the left, speak the following words: 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


89 


“ ‘Marvelous steed, 

With mane of gold, 

To my call give heed 
And do as you're told. 

On noiseless hoof 
Me with you bear 
’Neath the sky’s blue roof, 

Like a bird in air!’ 

“And now complete your charitable action by bury¬ 
ing me here, so that I may repose in peace; and con¬ 
tinue on your way in the hope of seeing success crown 
your undertaking!” 

The prince dug a hole at the foot of a tree, and, 
saying a prayer, piously buried the skull. When he 
had cast in the last handful of earth, he saw a blue 
flame come out of the ground. This was the soul of 
the dead man, rising to the skies, happy at being re¬ 
leased from its long penance on earth. 

The prince then walked to an open field, taking care 
to turn his eyes neither to the right nor to the left, and 
in order to try out the spell the skull had given him, 
cried in a loud voice: 

“Marvelous steed, 

With mane of gold, 

To my call give heed 
And do as you’re told. 


90 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


On noiseless hoof 
Me with you bear 
’Neath the sky’s blue roof, 

Like a bird in air!” 

At once, amid lightnings and thunders, there stood a 
horse, swift as the wind, with a gleaming coat and a 
mane of gold. Flames shot from its eyes and nostrils, 
and smoke rose from its mouth and ears. Stopping 
before the prince, it said with a human voice: 

“What are your orders, Prince Constance?” 

“I am very unfortunate and am in need of your aid,” 
answered the prince. And he told it of the misfor¬ 
tune which weighed upon him. 

“Creep into my left ear and come out again through 
my right,” said the magic horse. 

The prince did as the horse had told him, and came 
out from its right ear splendidly armed. The breast¬ 
plate of his coat-of-mail was adorned with gold and 
precious stones, his helmet was of gleaming steel, and 
he held a sword and a mace in his hands. Not only 
was he perfectly equipped as a warrior, but he was 
also filled with superhuman strength and valor. He 
stamped on the ground and the earth trembled beneath 
his foot; he swung his sword through the air and the 
leaves fell from the trees as though a storm had passed. 
Then he said to his horse: 

“Where shall I go? What shall I do?” 



THE BEARDED DWARF 


91 


And the magic horse replied: 

“Your betrothed, the Princess Radiant Star, has 
been stolen by a dwarf with a hump on his back and a 
beard more than five feet long. He is a powerful 
magician who lives not very far from here, and you 
will have to make his acquaintance. But the only 
weapon which can injure him is the sword with trench¬ 
ant blade owned by his brother, the giant with the big 
head and the basilisk eyes. So we first will have to 
look him up.” 

Then Prince Constance leaped fearlessly on the back 
of the horse with the mane of gold, and the latter at 
once began to run furiously, leaping over high moun¬ 
tains, sailing across broad rivers in the twinkling of an 
eye, and rushing through the densest forests without 
bruising a single blade of grass or raising the smallest 
cloud of dust on the highway. Finally they came to 
a wide plain covered with human bones, at the foot of 
a mountain which quivered and shook. There the 
horse stopped and said: 

“This mountain which you see before you, Prince, 
is the head of the giant with the basilisk eyes. You 
must be careful not to look at him face to face, for his 
glance is deadly, and if it struck you would put an end 
to you as it has to those whose bones lie at our feet. 
Fortunately, the monster has fallen asleep owing to the 
heat of the mid-day sun, and by his side is lying the 
sword with trenchant blade which none can resist. 


92 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

Hide yourself and stretch out on my neck until we are 
near the sword, and then stoop and seize it quickly. 
Once it is in your hands you have nothing further to 
fear, for not alone can the monster do you harm, but 
you will have him completely at your mercy.” 

The horse then silently drew near the sleeping mon¬ 
ster, and the prince leaned over without dismounting, 
and after having seized the sword, uttered a great cry 
to awaken the giant. The latter suddenly raised his 
head, clove the air with a large and angry sigh, and 
turned his flaming eyes toward the prince. But when 
he saw the sword with trenchant blade in his hands, 
he swallowed his wrath and said : 

“Have you decided to give up your life by coming 
here?” 

“Speak a little less haughtily,” answered the prince, 
“for you are in my power. Your basilisk eyes have 
lost their magic, and you shall perish by the sword. 
But first I should like to know who you are.” 

“I cannot deny that I am in your power, Prince,” 
answered the monster, “but show yourself generous, for 
I am deserving of pity. I am one of the giant race, 
and were it not for the hatefulness of my brother, I 
could have lived a happy life. My brother is Bulf- 
stroll, a dwarf with a great hump and a beard more 
than five feet long. Envious of my size and shape, 
he used every means to injure me. He owes his pro¬ 
digious strength to his beard, and this beard of his can 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


93 


only be cut by the sword with trenchant blade which 
had been buried by a magician, an enemy of ours, and 
which is the only weapon that can destroy us. Bulf- 
stroll told me of this, and, fool that I was, believing 
what he said, I took an oak-tree, made a shovel of it, 
and dug in the mountain until I found the sword. 
Then a dispute arose between my brother and myself 
as to which of us should have the sword until finally 
my brother said: ‘Let us put our ears io the ground, 
and the first who hears the bells ring in the nearest 
church-tower shall have the sword!’ I lay down to 
listen, and as soon as I did so, my brother flung himself 
upon me, and with a traitorous blow of the sword sep¬ 
arated my head from my body, and left the latter un¬ 
buried, so that it might change into an enormous moun¬ 
tain covered with trees and bushes. 

“As to my head, since it had been gifted with a power 
that made it impossible for him to destroy it, it has 
remained in this spot, to kill with fright all those who 
before you came trying to obtain the sword with trench¬ 
ant blade. And now I beg of you, O victorious prince, 
to use this magic weapon to cut off the beard of my 
treacherous brother! If you do this, you will at one 
and the same time have destroyed his evil power, and 
have paid him back for what he has done to me.” 

“I can promise that your wish will soon be granted,” 
said the prince, and at once ordered the horse with 
the golden mane to take him to Bulfstroll’s palace. 



94 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

No sooner had he given the order than he found 
himself at the gate of the garden, at the very moment 
when the dwarf was persecuting the Princess Radiant 
Star. The sound of the war trumpet had made Bulf- 
stroll stop, but before he left he put the cap on the 
princess’ head in order to make her invisible. 

The prince was still awaiting a reply to his summons 
when he heard a rumbling up among the clouds. This 
was the dwarf, who had risen to a tremendous height 
with the intention of dropping with crushing force on 
his enemy below. Yet he so grossly miscalculated the 
distance when he flung himself down from the clouds 
that he struck the ground and sank into it up to his 
waist. Naturally he was thus at the mercy of the 
prince, who instantly seized his beard and cut it off 
with the sword with trenchant blade. 

After having attached the dwarf’s beard to his hel¬ 
met as though it were a plume, and having tied him 
up and slung him across his horse’s saddle, Prince 
Constance entered the palace, whose servants opened 
all the doors when they saw in his possession the beard 
which had held them in slavery for so long a time. 

The prince at once began to hunt for the princess; 
but in vain he examined every corner of the palace 
and of the garden, for the malicious dwarf refused to 
help him. Finally, when he was nearly desperate, he 
was lucky enough to touch the magic cap, and taking 
it up, saw the princess asleep as the dwarf had left 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


95 


her. Not being able to waken her, he put the magic 
cap in his pocket, and, with the maiden in his arms, 
mounted the horse with the mane of gold and took the 
dwarf to the place where lay the head of his brother 
the monster. The head at once swallowed him, not 
without uttering a great cry of satisfaction. 

Prince Constance then remounted his horse, and soon 
reached the broad plain, where the horse stopped and 
said: 

“Prince, here we will separate! From this place it 
is only a day’s journey to the city where the princess’ 
father reigns. Your own horse is waiting here for you. 
Farewell! And now, before you leave me, crawl into 
my right ear and come out through my left one!” 

The prince did as he was told, and coming out found 
himself clad in the wedding garments he had worn 
when the princess had been stolen away by the dwarf. 
Then the horse swift as the wind, with the mane of 
gold, disappeared and, when he called it, his own 
horse came galloping up from the opposite side of the 
plain. 

Night having fallen by this time, the prince laid the 
sleeping princess on the ground, and after having cov¬ 
ered her carefully with his mantle so that she could 
not catch cold, lay down to rest himself. 

As bad luck would have it, one of the suitors whom 
the princess had refused happened to come that way, 
and when he saw Prince Constance lying there asleep, 


96 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

he thrust him though with his sword, and fled away 
with the princess, whom he brought to the palace of 
the king, her father, saying: 

“Here is your daughter, whose hand I demand in 
marriage in accordance with your promise! She had 
been stolen by a terrible magician, with whom I had 
to fight three days and three nights before I could get 
the better of him.” 

His daughter’s return filled the king with joy; but 
when he saw that all his caresses failed to waken her, 
he grew much alarmed and asked the youth who had 
brought her back what this strange slumber could 
mean. 

“I have not the slightest idea why the princess con¬ 
tinues to sleep,” answered the impostor. “She is just 
as she was when I found her near the magician’s bronze 
castle.” 

While these things were happening in the palace, 
Prince Constance, thrust through by the sword of his 
treacherous rival, had barely strength enough left to 
murmur: 

“Marvelous steed, 

With mane of gold, 

To my call give heed 
And do as you’re told. 

On noiseless hoof 
Me with you bear 
’Neath the sky’s blue roof, 

Like a bird in air!” 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


97 


A moment later, stepping out of a luminous cloud, 
the magic horse stood beside him and as soon as it saw 
what had happened to the prince, bounded off to the 
fountain of life, from which it brought back three 
kinds of water: the water which revives, the water 
which cures, and the water which lends strength. 
With these in turn the horse bathed the prince’s pale 
forehead. When the first kind of water was applied 
to his brow, life returned to the prince’s cold body, 
and his blood once more began to circulate through his 
veins; when he felt the second kind of water on 
his face, his wound was healed at once; and the 
third kind of water immediately caused him to re¬ 
gain his strength. Then he opened his eyes and 
cried: 

“Ah, what a tranquil and refreshing sleep I have 
had!” 

“The sleep you were enjoying was the sleep eternal,” 
answered the horse with the golden mane. “One of 
your rivals who found you sleeping, assassinated you 
and carried off the Princess Radiant Star to her father, 
telling him that he himself had rescued her. But 
never mind. The princess is still sleeping, and you 
are the only one who can break her enchanted slum¬ 
bers, by touching her with the dwarf’s beard. Mount 
your horse and hasten to the palace!” 

When he had said this the magic horse again dis¬ 
appeared in a whirlwind of light and Prince Con- 


98 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

stance, mounting his horse, rode like the wind in the 
direction of the palace of Radiant Star’s father. 

When he came to the outskirts of the city, however, 
he found it besieged by an enemy army, which had al¬ 
ready captured a portion of the wall, and was at the 
point of putting the terrified inhabitants to the sword. 
As soon as he saw this, the prince put on the cap which 
made him invisible, and, taking the sword with trench¬ 
ant blade in his hands, he fell on the besiegers with 
such irresistible energy that those who were not killed 
ran away, glad to escape with their lives. When this 
great deed had been done, the prince, still invisible, 
hastened to the palace, where he heard the king ex¬ 
press his astonishment at the enemy’s sudden and un¬ 
expected flight. 

“Who could have been the valiant warrior that saved 
us?” the king asked, filled with surprise. 

No one answered. Then Prince Constance removed 
his magic cap and, kneeling before the king, said: 

“It was I, king and father, who had the good for¬ 
tune to vanquish our enemies, and who rescued the 
princess, my betrothed, from the terrible danger in 
which she found herself. I was bringing her back to 
your arms, when this rival of mine, here present, 
stabbed me while I lay asleep, and afterwards deceived 
you by pretending to have been her rescuer. Lead me 
to the side of Radiant Star and I will awaken her!” 

When he heard these words, the impostor ran away 


THE BEARDED DWARF 


99 

i 

as though the evil one were after him, while Prince 
Constance hurried to the sleeping maiden to touch her 
forehead with the dwarf’s beard. No sooner had he 
done so than she opened her eyes and smiled as though 
she had awakened from a pleasant dream. 

Overjoyed, the king covered her with caresses, and 
that same afternoon she was married to Prince Con¬ 
stance and he received half the kingdom, according to 
the promise the king had made. 

And what shall we say of the festivities which fol¬ 
lowed the wedding? Nothing more than that eyes 
have not seen nor ears heard greater magnificence or 
greater rejoicing than took place on that occasion. 


THE SHEPHERD BOY’S DREAM 


O NCE upon a time there was a peasant who was 
poorer than poor. He was the herdsman of a 
little village, where he had lived for many years with 
his wife and his only child, a boy. When his son was 
still very young, he had commenced taking him with 
him into the meadows to teach him all that a faithful 
shepherd should know. So it happened that when the 
boy grew older, his father was able to let him tend the 
sheep alone, while he earned a few shillings more by 
weaving rush baskets. 

Every day the little shepherd boy drove his flock 
out over the hills and dales, whistling or singing many 
a merry tune, and cracking his long shepherd whip, 
so that time never lay heavy on his hands. When the 
noon hour came he would lie down comfortably near 
his sheep, eat his hard bread and drink water from a 
spring. And then he would take a little nap until it 
was time to drive the flock on again. 

Now, one day the shepherd boy had lain down be¬ 
neath a shady tree in the noon hour and fallen asleep, 
and while he slept he dreamt a curious dream. It 
seemed to him that he travelled away, a long, long dis¬ 
tance; and that there was a loud clinking, as though 

100 


C t 



“And there stood a throne on which he seated 
himself, while a beautiful girl sat down beside him ” 

"Page 101 













THE SHEPHERD BOY’S DREAM ioi 

a great number of gold pieces were continually fall¬ 
ing to the ground; and then he heard thunder as though 
muskets were being fired without a break; and then he 
saw an endless number of soldiers, with gleaming 
swords and armor. And all these noises and sights 
sounded and circled about him. Meanwhile he kept 
on wandering and climbing up-hill, until at last he 
came to the very top of a mountain. And there stood 
a throne on which he seated himself, while a beautiful 
girl, who suddenly appeared from nowhere, sat down 
beside him in the place which remained vacant. And 
then in his dream the shepherd boy rose and said in a 
very serious and solemn tone of voice: “I am the 
King of Spain!” And that very moment he woke up. 

As he herded his flock he kept thinking of the strange 
dream. In the evening when he returned home he told 
his parents, who were sitting before the cottage door 
cutting rushes, all about the curious dream he had 
dreamt and ended by saying: “I’ve made up my mind, 
if I dream the same dream again, to go away to Spain 
and see whether I do not get to be king, after all!” 
“Silly boy,” murmured his old father, “you become a 
king? Every one will laugh at you!” And his mother 
laughed and laughed and clapped her hands, and re¬ 
peated again and again: “King of Spain! King of 
Spain!” 

The next day at noon the shepherd boy stretched 
himself out under the same tree in good season and, 


i02 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


wonder of wonders, he once more dreamed the self¬ 
same dream! He could hardly wait for evening to 
come to drive his sheep back from pasture, for he 
wanted to run straight home and start out for Spain. 
When he at last had driven back his flock he told how 
he had dreamed the dream a second time and said: 
“If I dream the dream again I shall set out that very 
minute, that very, self-same minute!” 

So the third day he once more lay down beneath the 
same tree, and the same dream came to him a third 
time. Again he rose up in his sleep and said: “I am 
the King of Spain!” and awoke. This time he at once 
gathered up his cap, whip and bread-wallet, drove to¬ 
gether the sheep, and hurried to the village. There 
the people began to scold him for driving the sheep 
home so long before the vesper-bell had sounded; but 
the boy was so excited that he paid no attention either 
to them or to his own parents. Instead, he gathered 
together the clothes he wore on Sundays, tied them up 
in a little bundle which he hung over his shoulder 
from a walnut cudgel and wandered off without aye, 
yes or no. In fact, he ran as though he expected to 
reach Spain before night. Yet he got no farther that 
day than a great wood. There was not a house or a 
village to be seen anywhere, so he decided to spend 
the night in the forest, hidden in a thick bush. No 
sooner had he lain down to rest, however, than a noise 
awakened him. A band of men talking loudly were 


THE SHEPHERD BOY’S DR.EAM 


103 


passing the bush in which he lay hidden. Softly the 
boy got up and followed after them, at a little distance, 
thinking that perhaps he might still find an inn, for he 
was sure that wherever these men slept that night, there 
he could sleep as well. 

They had not gone very far before they came to a 
good-sized house which stood in the middle of the 
dark forest. The men knocked, the door was opened ; 
and when they entered the shepherd boy slipped in 
with them without being seen. Inside the house a sec¬ 
ond door was now opened, and all stepped into a large, 
sparsely lighted room, its floor covered with straw 
bundles, mattresses and bed covers, on which the men 
evidently expected to sleep. The little shepherd boy 
quickly slipped under a bundle of straw lying near the 
door, pricked up his ears, and began to listen from his 
hiding-place to all that was said. 

Before long he discovered—for he was bright and 
intelligent—that these men belonged to a robber band 
whose captain w^as the master of the house. When 
all the other members of the band had seated them¬ 
selves comfortably on the straw and mattresses, the 
captain climbed a raised seat and said in a deep bass 
voice: “My brave comrades, report what work you 
have done this day, whom you have stopped, and what 
you have captured!” The first to rise was a long man 
with a beard as black as coal, who replied: “Dear 
captain! This morning early I robbed a rich noble- 




io 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


man of his leather breeches. These breeches have two 
pockets and as often as they are turned upside-down 
and given a good shaking, a little pile of gold ducats 
falls on the floor.” “That is well,” said the captain. 
Now a second man stood up and reported: “I stole 
a general’s three-cornered hat to-day. This hat, when¬ 
ever it is turned around on the wearer’s head, shoots 
from all three corners without stopping.” “That also 
is well,” said the captain. Then a third man rose and 
said: “To-day I stole a sword from a knight. As 
often as the point of the sword is thrust into the ground, 
a regiment of soldiers instantly pops up and stands 
there in rank and file.” “That was a brave deed,” 
said the captain. Finally a fourth robber rose: “I 
drew off the boots of a sleeping traveller,” said he, 
“and anyone who puts them on can cover seven miles 
with every step.” “A quick deed is a good deed,” 
answered the captain. “Now hang your booty on the 
wall, eat and drink, and then go to sleep.” With that 
he left the room and the robbers, after eating and 
drinking a while, soon fell fast asleep. When all was 
quiet save for the snoring of the sleeping robbers, the 
shepherd boy came out from under his bundle of straw, 
got into the leather breeches, put on the three-cornered 
hat, took the sword, stepped into the boots, and then 
softly stole from the house. As soon as he got outside 
the boots began to show their magic power, to the shep¬ 
herd boy’s great joy, and before so very long he was 


THE SHEPHERD BOY’S DREAM 105 

walking into the great city in which the Spanish king 
resided. Its name was Madrid. 

Here he asked the first chance passer-by whom he 
met in the street to direct him to the finest inn in town. 
But the man answered: “You little ragamuffin, you 
should go where people of your own sort stop and not 
where the rich gentlemen eat!” Yet a shining gold 
piece soon taught him politeness, and he at once offered 
to guide the shepherd boy to the finest inn in town. 
When he had found it, the youth rented the hand¬ 
somest room, and inquired of the inn-keeper: “Well, 
how are things in Madrid? What is the news of the 
town?” Then the inn-keeper pulled a long face and 
answered: “You must be a stranger in this country, 
young sir. It seems that you have not heard that His 
Majesty, our king, is gathering an army of twenty thou¬ 
sand men. You see, we have enemies, for alas, we live 
in evil times! Young sir, do you think of joining the 
army?” “Indeed I do,” cried the shepherd boy, and 
his youthful face shone with joy. 

As soon as the inn-keeper had left him he quickly 
took off his leather breeches, shook a heap of gold 
ducats out of the pockets, and bought costly clothes, 
weapons, jewels, and everything he needed, and then 
asked the king to grant him an audience. When he 
came to the castle, two chamberlains led him into a 
high, magnificent hall, where he saw a most lovely 
young lady. She returned the bow which the hand- 


io6 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


some youth who was walking between the two cham¬ 
berlains made her, and they whispered: “That is the 
princess, the king’s daughter!” The shepherd boy had 
been much surprised and greatly delighted by the 
young princess’s beauty, and his delight and enthusiasm 
made it possible for him to speak bravely and boldly 
to the king. Said he: “Your Royal Majesty, I here¬ 
with humbly offer you my services as a soldier. The 
army which I shall bring you will win you the victory, 
and shall conquer whomever you order conquered. 
But one reward I must ask in case I am victorious, and 
that is the honor of leading home your lovely daugh¬ 
ter as my wife. Will you promise me this, my lord 
king?” Then the king said: “Be it so, I agree to 
your condition. If you return a victor I will appoint 
you my successor on the throne and give you my daugh¬ 
ter’s hand in marriage.” 

So then the former shepherd lad went out into the 
fields all by himself, and began to thrust his sword 
into the earth, here, there and everywhere. A few 
minutes later he was surrounded by thousands and 
thousands of soldiers, all ready for battle, while the 
shepherd boy, splendidly armed and adorned as their 
general, rode a magnificent charger, hung with gold- 
embroidered saddle-cloths, and with a bridle glitter¬ 
ing with precious stones. Then the young general 
rode forth with his army to meet the foe. There was 
a terrible and bloody battle; but the general’s three- 


THE SHEPHERD BOY’S DREAM 107 


cornered hat never stopped firing its deadly shots; and 
the magic sword kept calling one regiment after an¬ 
other from the ground; until in a few hours’ time the 
enemy was totally defeated and scattered, and the stan¬ 
dards of victory waved in the air. The victor followed 
the fleeing foe and took the best part of his country 
away from him. Covered with glory he then returned 
to Spain, where the greatest joy of all now awaited him. 
The king’s lovely daughter had been as much delighted 
with the handsome youth whom she had met in her 
father’s hall, as he had been with her; and the king, who 
appreciated the great services the shepherd boy had 
done him, kept his word, gave him his daughter for 
wife, and appointed him his successor and the heir to 
the throne. 

The wedding was celebrated with pomp and splen¬ 
dor and the former shepherd boy had become fortune’s 
favorite. Soon after the wedding the old king laid 
crown and scepter into his son-in-law’s hands, and the 
latter sat proudly on his throne, together with his beau¬ 
tiful wife, while the people did homage to him as the 
new king. Then it was that he thought of his dream, 
which had come true, and of his poor parents. When 
once more he was alone with his wife, he said to her: 
“Dearest, my parents are still living, but they are very 
poor. My father, a village shepherd, dwells far from 
here, and I myself herded the sheep while a boy, until 
a wonderful dream made clear to me that I was to be- 


io8 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


come the King of Spain. Fortune favored me and be¬ 
hold, now I am king! But I should like to see my 
parents happy, too, and so, with your consent, I will 
go home and fetch them back here with me.” The 
queen was well content to have it so, and her husband, 
seeing that he wore the seven-mile boots, did not take 
long to reach his native village. On the way he re¬ 
turned the magic articles which the robbers had stolen 
to their rightful owners, with the exception of the 
owner of the seven-mile boots, to whom he gave a 
duchy to console him for their loss. Then he fetched 
back his poor parents, who were quite beside them¬ 
selves with joy, to Madrid, where he lived in great con¬ 
tent and happiness all his days as King of Spain. 


THE PRINCESS WHO TURNED INTO 

RAW COTTON 

I^^VNCE upon a time, it may have been a thousand 
years ago, there lived a king and a queen who had 
an only daughter, whom they loved more than anything 
else in the world. So when the king of France asked 
her hand in marriage, neither her father nor her mother 
wished to lose her, and said to the French ambassador: 

“The princess is still very young!” which was a po¬ 
lite way of saying “No.” Now the princess grew more 
beautiful day by day, and the year after the ambassador 
of France had been turned away, the ambassador of 
Spain asked her hand in marriage for his king. But 
once more her parents replied: 

“The princess is still very young!” 

Now both kings were very angry because their re¬ 
quests had not been granted, so they determined to 
make the poor princess (who had had nothing at all 
to do with it) regret that they had been refused. 
Since they were either singly or together too stupid to 
find a way of doing this, they called in a magician and 
said to him: 

“You must cast some kind of a magic spell on the 
princess. And the more annoying the spell is to her 

the greater the reward you will receive.” 

109 





no FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


So the magician promised the two monarchs that 
their wish would be granted within a month’s time, and 
took himself off. And sure enough, before four weeks 
had passed, the magician turned up again at the king 
of Spain’s castle. 

“Here is the spell, Your Majesty,” he said. “De¬ 
liver this ring to the princess as a gift, and when she 
has worn it twenty-four hours on her ring-finger see 
what happens!” 

The two kings at once fell to discussing the best way 
of getting the ring into the hands of the princess. They 
could not send it to her parents, for her parents knew 
how they felt, and would suspect with cause any gift 
sent their daughter by her disgruntled suitors. What 
were they to do?” 

Then the king of Spain had an idea, something which 
happened very seldom. “Now I know! Now I 
know!” he cried excitedly. And he at once disguised 
himself as a jeweller, set out for the city in which the 
princess lived, and established himself in a shop op¬ 
posite the royal palace. There the queen saw him from 
her balcony, and as it happened that she wanted to 
buy some jewels, she had the jeweller brought to the 
palace. 

When she had bought several bracelets, chains and 
pendants she said to her daughter: 

“Would you like to have any of these pretty things, 
my child?” 


PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON iii 


“I do not see a single thing I like,” answered the 
princess. 

No sooner had she uttered these words than the pre¬ 
tended jeweller drew a ring from his pocket, where he 
had kept it hidden until that moment, and letting it 
sparkle in the sunlight, said: 

“This is really a very rare jewel, Royal Highness! 
It is a ring that has not its equal in the world. Do 
you not like it?” 

“Yes, indeed! What radiance! What beauty! It 
seems to be filled with stars!” cried the princess in an 
ecstasy. “How much does it cost?” 

“I cannot set a price on it. I will be quite content 
with whatever your Highness chooses to give for 
it.” 

So the jeweller was paid a large quantity of gold and 
withdrew. Then the princess slipped the ring on her 
finger, and so great was its radiance that she could not 
keep her eyes from it. But twenty-four hours had not 
passed before the poor princess suddenly gave a ter¬ 
rible cry of anguish. 

“Ay! Ay! Ay!” she wailed, and her shrieks re¬ 
sounded through the sleeping palace. 

The king and queen, the ladies and lords of the 
court, all ran up with lighted candles in their hands, 
pale with fright, to find out what had happened. But 
when they drew near, the princess’ cries redoubled. 
“Take away the candles! Take them away!” she 


112 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


screamed in desperation. “Don’t you see that I have 
turned into raw cotton!” 

And, in fact, her entire body had suddenly turned 
into raw cotton. The king and queen were inconsol¬ 
able at the misfortune which had overtaken their 
daughter. All the wisest men in the kingdom were 
sent for to discuss what had best be done in so unheard- 
of a case. 

They deliberated a long, long time and then said: 
“Your Majesty should send out heralds to every coun¬ 
try to proclaim that you will give your daughter’s hand 
in marriage to whoever can cure her.” 

So the heralds rode forth, with drummers and trum¬ 
peters, through their own land and through other king¬ 
doms, crying: 

“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Be it known to one and 
all, that whoever can restore the princess to health will 
receive her hand in marriage!” 

Now in those days a shoemaker’s son lived in a cer¬ 
tain little town. The cupboard was aR ays bare in 
his home, and once when there was not a bit of bread 
left in the house and father and son were near starving 
to death, the youth said to his father: 

“Father, give me your blessing! I am going to 
wander out into the world and seek my fortune.” 

“May heaven protect you, my son,” said his father. 
And with that the youth cut himself a stout cudgel 
and started out on his way. 


PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON 113 

As he was walking through the fields that lay on the 
outskirts of the town he happened across a band of boys 
who were plaguing a poor little toad and flinging stones 
at it. 

“What harm has the poor little beast ever done you?” 
he asked. “Did not God make it as well as ourselves? 
Let it be!” he cried indignantly. 

And when he saw that the naughty little boys paid 
no attention to his words and kept on flinging stones, he 
ran to them, caught up one or two, laid them across his 
knee, and used the flat of his hand where it would do 
the most good. While the little rascals all ran off the 
toad improved the opportunity, and hid away in a 
crevice in a wall. 

The youth went on his way, and before long the 
sound of drums and trumpets came to his ear. He 
listened attentively, and distinctly heard the following 
words: 

“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Be it known to one and all, 
that whoever can restore the princess to health will re¬ 
ceive her hand in marriage!” 

“What is the matter with the princess?” asked the 
youth of someone who chanced to be passing along the 
road. 

“What, don^t you know?” was the answer. “She has 
turned into raw cotton.” The youth thanked the man 
for the information and went on. When night fell he 
had reached the edge of a great barren plain, and 


11 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

decided to lie down and go to sleep. Before he did 
so he turned back to look at the road he had followed, 
and suddenly a tall, beautiful woman stepped up to 
him. 

He was about to leap back and hide when the woman 
said: 

“Do not be frightened. I am a fairy and have come 
to thank you.” 

“Thank me? What for?” asked the youth, very 
much surprised. 

“For saving my life. It is my fate to be a toad by 
day and a fairy by night. And now I am at your 
service to aid you in any way within my power.” 

“Good fairy,” answered the youth, “I have just heard 
that the princess has turned into raw cotton, and that 
whoever can cure her will obtain her hand in mar¬ 
riage. Tell me how I can cure her.” 

Said the fairy: “Take this sword in your hand, and 
go straight ahead until you reach a thick wood, full of 
snakes and wild beasts. Do not be afraid of them, 
however, but go bravely on until you come to the 
magician’s palace. 'When you get there, call out three 
times before the gate.” And with that the fairy went 
on giving the youth directions as to what he was to 
do. “If you need me at any time,” she concluded, 
“come back to this spot at the same hour and you will 
find me waiting.” 

The fairy then held out her white hand to the youth, 


PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON 115 


bade him farewell, and disappeared before he could 
open his mouth to thank her. 

Without a moment’s hesitation the shoemaker’s son 
hurried along as the fairy had told him to, and before 

c 

very long reached the thick wood inhabited by snakes 
and wild beasts, which filled the air with their awful 
cries, and gnashed their terrible teeth, and opened their 
hungry jaws. Yet, for all that his heart trembled 
within him, the poor youth went straight ahead, acting 
as though he did not see the savage creatures, and 
finally reached the magician’s palace, where he called 
out three times before the gate. At once a voice from 
the interior of the castle said: 

“Woe to you, presumptuous wretch! How dare you 
seek me out! What do you want?” 

“If you are a magician, come out and fight with 
me!” replied the youth. 

Furious at such audacity, the magician at once rushed 
out, armed to the teeth, and ready to slay the offender. 
But as soon as he saw the sword the youth held in his 
hand, he began to lament in the most lamentable way, 
and falling on his knees, he trembled and said: 

“Woe to me! How unlucky I am! At any rate 
do not take my life!” 

Then the youth replied: 

“I will let you live if you deliver the princess from 
her enchantment.” The magician at once drew a little 
ring from his purse and said: 


116 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


“Take this ring, slip it on the little finger of the 
princess’ left hand, and she will at once be well again.” 

Pleased with the success of his trip, the youth 
hastened to the king to convince him of the truth of 
what he had told him. 

“Tell me, Your Majesty, is it certain that if I restore 
your daughter’s health that I will become your son- 
in-law?” 

“Absolutely,” said the anxious king. 

“Very well, then, I am prepared to cure her!” 

The princess was now led in, and all the ladies and 
all the gentlemen of the court surrounded her to see 
the miracle performed. But no sooner had the youth 
slipped the ring the magician had given him on the 
little finger of her left hand, than the princess was 
suddenly enveloped in flames and began to utter the 
most heart-rending cries. All crowded about her in 
the greatest confusion, and the horrified youth took 
advantage of the fact to run away as though the evil 
one himself were after him. 

His only wish was to return and see the fairy, and 
he never stopped running until he had reached the 
place where she had appeared to him for the first time. 

“Fairy, are you here?” he cried in a trembling voice. 

“Here I am,” she answered and there she was. Then 
he told her all about the misfortune which had oc¬ 
curred. 

“You allowed the magician to deceive you. Take 



“Fairy, are you here?” he cried in a trembling voice. 

r Page 116 


































PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON 117 

this dagger and hunt him up once more. And see to 
it that he does not deceive you a second time.” Then 
she added some further good advice regarding his dan¬ 
gerous trip through the wood and dismissed him with 
her blessing. 

The youth came to the gate of the magician’s 
palace and called three times. And, as before, the 
magician shouted: 

“Woe to you, presumptuous wretch! What do you 
want?” 

“If you are the magician, come out and fight me!” 

The magician, armed to the teeth, and filled with 
rage, rushed out; but when he saw the dagger he fell 
trembling to his knees, and begged in a lamentable 
tone of voice: 

“Spare my life!” 

“You wicked magician,” cried the angry youth, “you 
deceived me! Now I shall chain you up until you 
release the princess from the spell you have cast on 
her.” 

He put him in chains, and then stuck the dagger 
into the ground and thrust it through the chain so that 
the magician could not move. 

“You are more powerful than I am, as well I see,” 
said the magician, his teeth chattering like castanets. 
“Take the ring which she bought of the jeweller from 
the princess’ hand and the spell will be raised.” 

Until he had made certain that the princess had 


ii8 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


escaped from the flames with only a few slight burns on 
her hands, thanks to the swiftness with which the fire 
had been put out, the youth did not have the courage 
to present himself before the king. 

“I beg Your Majesty’s pardon,” he said, when he re¬ 
turned to the palace. “The cause of the disaster was 
not myself, but a traitorous magician. Yet now I have 
totally overcome him, and my remedy will show re¬ 
sults. All I need to do is to draw from your daughter’s 
hand the ring she bought of the jeweller.” 

And this he did. As soon as he had drawn the ring 
from her finger, the princess was once more in all 
respects as she had been before, but—her tongue, her 
eyes and her ears were missing! No one could de¬ 
scribe the youth’s horror and surprise at this new dis¬ 
aster. Once more he hurried back to his friend the 
fairy and asked her to help him. 

“You have let yourself be deceived a second time,” 
said she. And once more she told him what to do. 

When the youth returned to the place where he had 
left the magician he cried furiously: 

“Wretched impostor! My patience is at an end. 
Now I shall take an eye for an eye, a tongue for a 
tongue and an ear for an ear!” 

And as he said this he seized the magician as though 
he were about to strangle him. But the magician, when 
he saw himself in danger of death, called out: 


PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON 119 


“Have mercy! Have mercy! Let me live! Go and 
see my sisters, who live a little further on!” And he 
told the youth how to find their dwellings, and taught 
him the magic words to say before each gate. 

In the course of a few hours the youth reached the 
gate of another palace, exactly like the magician’s in 
every respect. He called out and a voice answered 
from within: 

“Who are you and what do you want?” 

“I want the little golden horn.” 

“I see that my brother has sent you. What does he 
want of me?” 

“He wants a scrap of red cloth to mend a hole in his 
cap.” 

“There it is! And now get out!” came a woman’s 
voice in haughty tones from within the palace. And 
at the same time a scrap of blood-red cloth cut in the 
shape of a tongue was flung out to the youth. 

Then the youth went on for another couple of hours, 
and came to the foot of a high mountain. In a spur 
of the rocks stood another palace, exactly like the two 
others in every respect. The youth called out before 
the gate and a voice from within said: 

“Who are you and what do you want?” 

“I want the little golden hour-hand.” 

“Very well. I see that my brother has sent you. 
What does he want of me?” 


i20 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


“He wants two beans for his soup.” 

“Hew silly! Here they are! And now get out at 
once!” 

With that the owner of the palace flung out the two 
beans wrapped in a bit of paper and closed the win¬ 
dow. 

Last of all the youth came to a great plain, in the 
middle of which stood a fourth palace exactly like the 
other three in every respect. When he called and had 
been asked what he wanted he answered: 

“I want a little foot.” 

“Ah, my brother has sent you! What does he want 
of me?” 

“He needs two snail-shells for supper.” 

“There they are! And now stop bothering me!” 
answered an unpleasant female voice from a window, 
and at the same time the two snail-shells were flung at 
his feet. 

Then the youth returned to the magician with the 
objects he had collected and said to him: 

“Here are the things for which you asked.” 

Then the magician told him how to make use of the 
three things; but as he turned to go, the captive asked 
the youth in a pleading tone: 

“Are you going to leave me tied up here?” 

“It is only what you deserve. However, I will let 
you go now. But woe to you if you have deceived me 
this time!” 


PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON 121 


After having unchained the magician, the youth 
hastened to see the king, and as soon as he stood beside 
the princess, he opened her mouth, put in the scrap 
of blood-red cloth and at once she had her tongue 
again. 

Alas, the very first words that came from the prin¬ 
cess’ lips were the following: 

“You wretched botcher, get out of my sight!” 

The poor youth was struck motionless by so grievous 
a surprise and murmured to himself: 

“This is another of the false magician’s tricks.” Yet 
the ingratitude of the princess did not prevent him from 
wishing to finish his good work. Fie took the two beans 
and placed them in the girl’s empty sockets, and she at 
once recovered her sight. But no sooner had her eyes 
fallen on the youth than she covered her face with her 
hands and cried in disgust: 

“Oh, what homely creatures men are! What hor¬ 
ribly homely creatures!” 

By this time the poor youth had entirely lost heart, 
and he could only murmur to himself again: 

“Another of the false magician’s tricks!” 

Yet he did not wish to leave his work unfinished. 
So he took the empty snail-shells and carefully placed 
them against the princess’ head in the place where the 
ears ought to be, and marvelous to relate, the maiden 
at once recovered her tiny little ears. 

Then the youth turned to the king and said; 


122 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


“Your Majesty, now I am your son-in-law!” 

But when she heard these words, the princess com¬ 
menced to weep like a child, saying: 

“He has just called me a witch! He said I was an 
old witch!” 

This ingratitude was more than the youth could stand 
and without another word he ran from the palace in 
search of the good fairy. 

“Fairy, where are you?” he called, trembling with 
rage and grief. 

“Here I am!” Then he told her how badly the 
princess, whom he had restored to health, had treated 
him. But this time the fairy smiled and said: 

“Most likely you forgot to draw the other ring from 
the little princess’ left hand.” 

“That’s true!” cried the youth, putting his hands to 
his head in his surprise. “I never thought of it in all 
the confusion!” 

So the youth flew back to the princess and drew the 
magic ring from the little finger of her left hand. As 
he did so an amiable smile hovered around the princess’ 
beautiful mouth, and she thanked him in a voice so 
sweet and kind that the youth blushed with joy and 
embarrassment. 

Then the king said to the princess with great solem¬ 
nity: 

“This is your husband!” 


PRINCESS TURNED INTO COTTON 123 


And the youth and the princess joined hands and 
saluted all those present. A few days later the wed¬ 
ding was celebrated, and needless to say they lived 
happily ever after. 


THE TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


I 

The Count’s Three Adventures 

O NCE upon a time there was a very rich count, who 
threw away his money right and left. He lived 
like a king, and kept open table every day. Any one 
who came to his castle, whether knight or squire, he 
treated like a prince three days in succession, and all his 
guests were so well filled when the time came to go 
that they found it hard to leave. The count was fond 
of games of chance; his court was filled with golden- 
locked pages, runners and haiducks in rich liveries; and 
his stables were crowded with countless horses and hunt- 
ing dogs. Living in such a way, it was not strange that 
his treasures disappeared. Soon he had to mortgage 
one town and village after another, sell his jewels and 
silver, dismiss his attendants, and shoot his dogs. At 
last there was nothing left of all he possessed but an 
old hunting castle in the forest, a good, kind wife, and 
three beautiful daughters. 

In this hunting castle the count lived, forgotten by 
the world; while the countess and her daughters kept 
house and prepared the meals, and seeing they did 

not know much about cooking, the only dish that came 

124 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


125 


on the table was boiled potatoes. These frugal meals 
were not at all to the count’s taste. He grew peevish 
and out of sorts, and would rear and tear about the 
house till the walls echoed his scolding. One fine sum¬ 
mer morning he felt so hateful that he seized his hunting 
spear, and went into the forest to kill a bit of game in 
order to have a tasty dinner. 

This forest was supposed to be haunted. Many a 
wanderer had lost his way among the trees and had 
never been seen again, either because he had been 
strangled by evil gnomes or torn to pieces by wild beasts. 
Rut the count did not believe these stories and feared 
no hidden powers. He climbed sturdily over hill and 
dale, and crept through bush and thicket without bird 
or beast coming his way. At last he grew tired, sat 
down under a tall oak-tree, took out a few cold boiled 
potatoes and a little salt from his game-bag, and decided 
to eat his lunch. And happening to raise his eyes, lo 
and behold!—there was a savage wild bear walking 
up to him. The poor count shuddered at the sight. 
He could not run away, and he was not prepared for a 
bear hunt, but in his despair he caught up his hunting 
spear to defend himself as well as he could. Mean¬ 
while the monster came nearer, and suddenly stood di¬ 
rectly in front of him and growled—the count could 
hear the words quite plainly—“Robber, you have been 
plundering my honey tree? You shall pay for the 
crime with your life!” 


126 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


“Alas,” begged the count, “do not eat me up, Sir Bear! 
I have no desire to rob your honey tree, for I am an 
honest knight. If you feel hungry, take potluck with 
me and be my guest.” And with these words he pre¬ 
sented all his cold boiled potatoes to the bear on his 
hunting cap. But the bear scorned what the count had 
to offer and growled unwillingly: “Miserable wretch, 
you cannot ransom your life with cold boiled potatoes! 
Promise me your oldest daughter Wulfild for a bride. 
If you do not, then I will eat you up.” 

Terrified as he was, the count probably would have 
promised the bear all three of his daughters, and his 
wife into the bargain, had he asked for them, for neces¬ 
sity knows no law. “She shall be yours, Sir Bear!” he 
said at once, and began to recover from his fright. “On 
condition, however,” he added, deceitfully, “that you 
come and fetch the bride yourself, and bring a dower 
for her, as is the custom of the country.” “Agreed,” 
said the bear, “here is my hand on it!” and stretched 
out his hairy paw. “In seven days I will bring you a 
dower of a hundred pounds of gold, and take home 
my bride.” “Agreed,” said the count, “I’ll be as good 
as my word!” 

Then they parted the best of friends; the bear trot¬ 
ting off to his cave, the count hurriedly making his way 
out of the enchanted forest, and reaching his castle by 
starlight, weary and worn. 

Now you might as well know that a bear who talks 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 127 


and acts like a sensible human being, is never a natural, 
honest-to-goodness bear, but an enchanted one. This 
the count knew very well; but he thought he could lock 
himself up so carefully in his hunting castle that it 
would be impossible for the bear to enter when he came 
to fetch his bride at the time mentioned. “Even though 
he be a magic bear,” said the count to himself, “yet he 
is a bear for all that, and besides, he has all the bad 
points a natural bear would have. Hence he will not 
be able to fly like a bird, or slip into a locked room 
through the keyhole, like a ghost.” The following day 
he told his wife and daughters about his adventure in 
the forest. Wulfild at once fainted when she heard she 
was to marry a horrible bear; her mother wrung her 
hands and cried loudly; and her sisters trembled with 
grief and horror. But their father the count went out, 
looked to the walls and moat c around the castle, saw 
to it that the iron gate was buired and bolted, had the 
drawbridge raised and every entrance barricaded, and 
finally climbed the watch-tower. There, directly under 
the battlements, was a small, thickly walled chamber, 
and here he locked in Wulfild, who tore her silken, flaxy 
hair, and seemed to be trying to weep her heavenly blue 
eyes out of her head. 

Six days had passed and the seventh was just dawning, 
when a great noise rose in the forest, as though the wild 
huntsmen were underway. Whips cracked, post-horns 
blared, horses trotted, wheels rattled. A splendid 


128 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


coach of state, surrounded by horsemen, rolled over the 
green meadow in front of the castle. All the bolts drew 
out of their locks of their own accord, the castle gate 
flew open, the drawbridge fell. A young prince as 
handsome as the day stepped out of the coach, dressed 
in silver brocades and satins. A golden chain in which 
a man could stand upright three times over, was wound 
around his neck; a string of pearls and diamonds which 
blinded the eye ran about his hat; and the clasp holding 
his ostrich plume in place was worth a duchy. He flew 
up the winding stairs to the tower like a storm, and a 
moment later the terrified bride was trembling in his 
arms as he came down again. 

All this noise awoke the count from his morning 
sleep. He raised his bedroom window, and when he 
saw the courtyard filled with horses and coaches, knights 
and serving-men, and his daughter lifted into the car¬ 
riage on a stranger’s arm as the procession passed 
through the gate, his heart misgave him and he lamented 
loudly: “Farewell, little daughter of mine! Farewell, 
you unhappy bride!” Wulfild recognized her father’s 
voice, and waving her white handkerchief from the 
window of the coach thus bade him adieu. 

Both parents were very much upset by the loss of 
their daughter, and looked at each other without saying 
a word. Her mother could not trust her eyes, and 
thinking all she had seen was illusion and witchcraft, 
took her bunch of keys, ran up to the tower, and opened 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 129 

the door of the small chamber. But there was not a 
trace of her daughter; though a silver key lay on the 
table. This she took, and as she peered through the 
little window, she saw a cloud of dust whirl up in the 
east, and heard the noise and shouting of the bridal 
procession until it reached the entrance of the forest. 
Sadly she descended the stairs, dressed in mourning, 
strewed ashes on her head, and wept for three days 
in succession, the count and her other daughters adding 
their tears to hers. On the fourth day the count left 
the house of mourning to get a breath of fresh air, and 
as he crossed the court, there stood a great ebony chest, 
well locked and fastened and very heavy to lift. He 
had a good idea of what was in it. The countess gave 
him the silver key, he unlocked it, and sure enough it 
contained a hundred pounds of gold, all in dubloons of 
the same minting. Pleased with his find, he forgot 
his heart’s sorrow, bought horses and hawks, as well as 
fine clothes for his wife and daughters, engaged serv¬ 
ants, and once more began to spend and squander until 
the last dubloon had flown out of the chest. Then 
he made debts, and Soon his debtors came in crowds to 
the castle, plundered it from cellar to attic, and left 
him nothing but an old hawk. Again the poor coun¬ 
tess had to return to the kitchen with her daughters, 
while the count, consumed with disappointment and 
bored to death, wandered all day long through the 
fields with his hawk. 


1 3 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

One day he cast the bird, which rose high into the 
air, and would not return to his fist, no matter how 
much he lured it. The count following its flight across 
the plain as well as he could, at last saw it make for the 
horrible forest into which he no longer dared venture, 
and gave up all hope of catching his feathered com¬ 
panion. Suddenly a great eagle rose over the forest 
and followed the hawk, and the latter, as soon as it 
caught sight of its powerful enemy, at once darted back 
like an arrow to its master, to seek protection. But 
the eagle shot down from the upper air, grasped the 
count’s shoulder with one of its mighty claws, and with 
the other crushed the poor hawk. The alarmed count 
tried to rid himself of the feathered monster by thrust¬ 
ing and beating at it with his hunting spear. The 
eagle, however, seized the spear, broke it like a reed 
and screamed the following words into his ear: “Dar¬ 
ing wretch! Why have you let your hawk fly in my 
hunting-ground? You shall pay for the crime with 
your life!” 

Seeing that the bird could talk, the count now knew 
the kind of an adventure he was in for. He regained 
his courage and said: “Gently, Sir Eagle, gently! 
What have I done to you? My hawk has suffered for 
its offence. I will give it up to you, and wish you the 
best of appetite.” “No,” answered the eagle, “I feel 
like eating human flesh to-day, and you look like a 
fat meal to me!” “Forgive me, Sir Eagle,” then cried 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 131 

the count, fearing he would be killed, “tell me what 
you want of me and I will give it to you, but spare my 
life!” “Very well,” replied the murderous bird, “I 
shall take you at your word. You have two beautiful 
daughters. If you promise that Adelheid shall marry 
me, I will let you go in peace and pay a dower of two 
hundredweights of gold. I shall come to fetch my 
bride in seven weeks’ time.” With that the monster 
rose high in the air and disappeared in the clouds. 

In case of need we are apt to promise away the best 
that we have. When their father saw that this business 
of marrying off his daughters had such satisfactory re¬ 
sults, he resigned himself to his loss. This time he 
came home in excellent spirits, and said not a word of 
his adventure; partly to avoid the reproaches of the 
countess, which he feared, and partly not to make his 
dear daughter feel badly before there was any need. 
For the sake of appearances he complained about the 
loss of his hawk, which he said had flown away. 

Now the beautiful Adelheid was a spinner with 
whom none other could compare. She was also a skill¬ 
ful weaver, and at the time had just finished weaving a 
piece of linen as fine as silk, which she had laid out to 
bleach on a grassy spot not far from the castle. Six 
weeks and six days had passed, and the beautiful spin¬ 
ner had not the slightest idea of the fate in store for 
her. No, she had not even a suspicion, though her 
father—who had grown a little down in the mouth as 


132 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


the date set by the eagle drew near—had given her 
various hints, once telling her of an alarming dream 
he had had, and again recalling the long-forgotten 
Wulfild to her memory. But Adelheid was in the 
best of spirits, and thought her father was full of fan¬ 
cies. On the morning of the fateful seventh day she 
ran gaily down to the grassy plot and spread out her 
linen, so that it might be moistened by the morning 
dew. Then, when she had attended to her bleaching 
and was looking about, she saw a splendid procession 
of knights and squires riding along the highway. Since 
she had not yet dressed for the day, she hid behind a 
wild rose-bush which was in full bloom, and stared out 
at the splendid cavalcade. But when it reached the 
rose-bush the handsomest among the knights, a slender 
young fellow whose helmet was open, rode up to it 
and said gently: “I see you and seek you, dearest love! 
Ah, do not hide from me, but let me lift you up behind 
me on my horse, my lovely bride!” 

Adelheid did not know just how or what she felt 
when she heard this speech. The charming knight 
pleased her very much, but the idea of marrying him 
was so unexpected, that she sank down on the ground 
and swooned away, and when she awoke she found 
herself in his arms, and he was riding off toward the 
forest. 

In the meantime her mother had prepared breakfast, 
and when Adelheid did not appear, she sent out her 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


1 33 

[ 

youngest daughter to see what had become of her. 
Out she went and did not return. The mother grew 
worried and thought she had better see what had hap¬ 
pened to her daughters. So she went out and did not 
return. The count had noticed all this and his heart 
beat loudly in his breast. He stole out to the grassy 
plot and there his wife and daughter were still calling 
Adelheid with frightened voices. Then the count be¬ 
gan to shout her name as well, though he knew that 
all his shouting was in vain. As he went along he 
passed the rose-bush, saw something shining in the 
grass and, lo and behold, there lay two large eggs of 
gold, each weighing at least a hundred pounds! Now 
he could no longer hold back the story of his adventure, 
and told his wife and daughter what had happened. 
“Disgusting peddler of souls!” cried his wife. “Mur¬ 
derous father! So you offer up your own flesh and 
blood to a monster for the sake of gold!” 

The count, who as a rule was not much of a talker, 
did his best to explain that he had only done what he 
did because he was in danger of losing his life. But 
the broken-hearted mother did not cease reproaching 
him. So he did the best thing he could have done to 
end the discussion: he stopped talking, allowed the 
lady to say what she would, and in the meantime re¬ 
moved the golden eggs to a place of safety, rolling them 
back to the castle in front of him. Then, for the sake 
of appearances, he had the family go into mourning 


i34 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


for three days, and after that thought of nothing but 
resuming his former mode of life. 

In a short time the castle was once more the abode of 
joy, the happy hunting grounds of every greedy noble 
and commoner in search of a meal. Balls, tourneys 
and splendid banquets were the order of the day. The 
lovely Bertha, the count’s last remaining daughter, 
shone in the eyes of the stately knights at her father’s 
court as the silver moon delights the sensitive wanderer 
in the midsummer night. She distributed the prizes 
at all the knightly games, and every evening danced 
the opening dance with the gentleman who had won 
the prize that day. The count’s hospitality and his 
daughter’s beauty drew the noblest knights to the castle 
from far, far away. Many tried to win the heart of 
the wealthy heiress, but it was hard for her to choose 
among so many suitors, since one seemed to outdo the 
other in nobility and riches. In fact, the lovely Bertha 
was so long making up her mind about whom to choose, 
that the golden eggs, which the count had not put off 
shelling, were soon no larger than hazelnuts. Again 

the count’s finances fell into their former disorder, the 

/ 

tourneys were dropped, knights and squires dis¬ 
appeared, the castle once more began to look like an 
hermitage, and the count’s family returned to its simple 
diet of boiled potatoes. Again the count strolled 
moodily through the fields and wished some new ad- 



TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 135 


venture would take place; but none did, for he was 
afraid of venturing into the enchanted forest. 

One day, however, he followed a flock of partridges 
so far that he came quite close to the horrible forest, 
and though he did not venture in, he walked along 
the edge a ways until he came to a great fish-pond 
which he had never noticed before, and saw a countless 
number of trout swimming in its clear, silvery waters. 
This discovery filled him with joy. There was nothing 
about the appearance of the pond to arouse suspicion; 
so he hurried home, made himself a net, and the fol¬ 
lowing morning, bright and early, he was standing on 
the edge of the pond to cast it in. By good fortune 
he found a little skiff with a single oar among the reeds. 
He jumped into it, rowed about the pond, cast in his 
net, and after having caught more trout than he could 
carry in a single cast, started to row merrily back 
to shore again. About a stone’s throw from the bank, 
however, his boat suddenly stopped moving. The 
count thought it had run aground, and tried with all 
his might and main to get it to move again. But all his 
efforts were useless. Soon the water began to shrink 
away from him on every side, and the boat seemed 
to be hanging on a cliff high, high above the surface 
of the pond. The inexperienced fisherman felt ill at 
ease because, although the boat seemed nailed to the 
spot, the shore appeared to fade away into the distance, 


136 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

the pond broadened out into a great sea, the water 
which had left him high and dry returned in swollen 
billows which roared and foamed, and all at once he 
realized that a monster fish was carrying his boat and 
himself on its back. Then he resigned himself to his 
fate, anxiously waiting to see what would happen. 
Suddenly the fish dived and the boat floated once more; 
but a minute later the sea-monster was peering out of 
the water, and from its black throat, as though from 
a subterranean cellar, came the following words: 
“Daring fisherman, what have you done! You are 
murdering my subjects and must pay! Your life is 
forfeit for your crime!” 

By this time the count was so used to these adven¬ 
tures that he knew quite well what was expected of 
him. He recovered from his first shock as soon as 
he noticed that the fish was willing to talk things over, 
and said boldly: “Sir Behemoth, do not violate the 
laws of hospitality! Let me take a dish of fish from 
your pond. If you were to call on me my kitchen and 
cellar would be at your service.” “We are not such 
good friends as all that,” answered the finny monster. 
“According to the law of might, the stronger devours 
the weaker. You have stolen my subjects to devour 
them, and so I shall devour you!” With this the sav¬ 
age fish opened its jaws still more widely, as though 
it meant to swallow man and boat. 

“Ah, spare my life!” cried the count. “You can see 



“He realized that a monster fish was 
carrying his boat and himself on its back ” 


Tage 136 









































TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 137 

that I will make a very slim breakfast for a stomach 
like yours.” The fish seemed to reflect. “Very well,” 
it then said, “I know that you have a beautiful daughter. 
Promise that she shall be my bride, and take your life 
in return.” When the count heard the fish talking this 
way, all his fears left him. “She shall be yours!” he 
cried. “You will make a fine son-in-law, one to whom 
no good father could deny his child. Yet, tell me, 
what is your custom as regards a dower for the bride’s 
father?” The fish replied: “Gold and silver have I 
none, but a great treasure of pearls lies at the bottom of 
this pond. You may have all you want.” “Well,” 
said the count, “three bushels of large pearls are not 
too much for a lovely bride.” “They are yours,” spoke 
the fish, “and the bride is mine. I shall fetch her home 
in seven months’ time.” With that he waved his huge 
tail merrily and at once drove the boat ashore. 

The count brought home his trout, had them fried 
and ate them with great enjoyment, together with his 
wife and lovely Bertha. Poor Bertha did not know 
that the meal was to cost her dear. Six months passed, 
and when the silver moon began to fill out and grow 
rounder for the seventh time, the count began to think 
of what was going to happen. In order not to witness 
it, he decided to make a little trip into the country, and 
this he did. It was in the noonhour, hot and oppres¬ 
sive, that a stately band of horsemen galloped up to the 
castle. The countess, startled by the arrival of so many 


138 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

unknown visitors, did not know whether to let the 
drawbridge fall. But when a knight well-known to 
her called out she did so. This knight had often at¬ 
tended the tourneys given at the castle in the count’s 
days of wealth and splendor, and lovely Bertha had 
often bestowed prizes on him, and danced with him. 
When the count’s circumstances had changed, he had 
disappeared with the other knights. The poor coun¬ 
tess was ashamed to think that she had nothing in the 
way of food or drink to offer the noble knight and his 
following. But he said in the kindest manner that all 
he wanted was a drink of fresh water from the cool 
rocky spring in the castle. And in fact he had never 
taken wine in the old days and was known as the 
“Water Knight” for that very reason. Her mother 
told lovely Bertha to run to the spring and fill a pitcher, 
and when she had done so she brought the knight his 
drink in a crystal goblet. He took it from her charm¬ 
ing hand, put his lips to the spot where her own lovely 
red lips had rested, and drank to her health. The coun¬ 
tess, meanwhile, felt very uncomfortable. There was 
not a thing she could offer her guest to eat. At last 
she remembered that a juicy melon had just ripened 
in the castle garden. At once she went out, picked the 
melon, laid it on an earthen dish with a border of 
grape-leaves and fragrant flowers, and brought it in to 
offer her guest. 

But when she stepped out of the garden, the court- 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 139 


yard of the castle was bare and empty; and there were 
neither horses nor servingmen to be seen, and in the 
room there was neither knight nor squire. She called 
her daughter Bertha, and looked for her all over the 
house, but could not find her. In the entrance room, 
however, stood three clean linen sacks, which she had 
not noticed in her first alarm. She laid her hand on 
one, and it felt as though it were filled with peas; but 
her grief did not allow her to examine it more closely. 
Instead she gave herself up to her sorrow, and cried 
without stopping until evening, when the count re¬ 
turned and found her grieving bitterly. She did not 
conceal what had happened to him, though she would 
have preferred to have done so; for she was afraid he 
would reproach her for having allowed a stranger 
knight to enter the castle, and carry off her lovely 
daughter. But the count comforted her in the kindest 
way, merely inquired after the sacks of peas, which she 
had mentioned, and then went out to examine them, 
opening one in her presence. Imagine the surprise of 
the sorrowing countess when great pearls, as large as 
the largest garden peas, rolled out of the sack, pearls 
perfectly rounded, and of the purest pink and white 
lustre. Well she realized that the knight who had 
carried off her daughter had paid for each of her tears 
with a pearl, and she formed a good opinion of his 
wealth and standing. She also consoled herself with 
the thought that her son-in-law was no monster but a 


1 4 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


handsome knight, and the count was careful to say 
nothing to the contrary. 

Now the parents had lost all three of their lovely 
daughters; but instead they had gained a tremendous 
treasure. Soon the count turned a portion of the pearls 
into money. From morning till evening the castle 
was crowded with merchants and Jews, who came to 
chaffer for the costly pearls. The count took his towns 
and villages out of pawn, handed over the hunting 
castle to a vassal, and returning to his former residence, 
once more surrounded himself with a court. But now 
he no longer lived like a wastrel, but as a careful hus¬ 
bandman; for he had no more daughters to sell. The 
noble pair lived in the greatest comfort; yet the coun¬ 
tess could not resign herself to the loss of her daughters. 
She wore mourning day in and day out, and was never 
merry. For a long time she hoped to see her Bertha 
with the rich knight of the pearls, and whenever a 
stranger came to her court she suspected it might be 
he. At last the count no longer could bear to see her 
deceiving herself with false hopes, and told her that 
her third son-in-law was a sea monster. “Alas,” sighed 
the countess, “did heaven send me children merely to 
have them become the prey of horrible monsters? 
What does every earthly joy, what do all the riches 
in the world mean to an unhappy mother?” “Dear 
wife,” replied the count, “calm yourself. Things are 
as they are and cannot well be changed.” But these 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


141 

words did not comfort the countess and she continued 
to mourn as before. 


II 

Reinald the JVonder Child 

Yet what neither her husband’s words, nor the songs 
and string music with which her maidens tried to cheer 
her could do for the poor countess, heaven was able 
to accomplish. One day she made a pilgrimage to a 
grotto in which a pious hermit lived, not far from her 
palace, provided with a beautiful rosary of milk-white 
pearls as a gift for the holy man, and so fruitful of 
result were his prayers that in the course of time heaven 
sent her a little son to make up for the loss of her 
daughters. 

The happy event was celebrated with splendid festiv¬ 
ities by the overjoyed parents, and his father at once 
named him Reinald the Wonder Child. The boy was 
handsome as handsome could be, and as he was care¬ 
fully trained in every knightly art, he grew up to be 
his father’s joy and his mother’s consolation. Yet, 
though he was the apple of her eye, she never quite 
forgot her three daughters who had disappeared. 
Often, when she clasped Reinald in her arms, a tear 
would fall on his cheeks and when he grew older he 
would ask: “Why do you cry, mother?” 

But the countess did not reveal the cause of her sor- 


i 4 2 fairy tales from far away 

row to him. No one—save the count and herself— 
knew whither the three young countesses had disap¬ 
peared. Some declared they had been carried 
off by wandering knights—something which often hap¬ 
pened in those days. Others said they were living 
hidden away in a nunnery. Still others claimed to 
have seen them in the following of the Queen of Bur¬ 
gundy or the Countess of Flanders. At last, however, 
Reinald managed to coax the secret from his mother. 
She told him the adventures of his three sisters in every 
detail, and he remembered every word of the strange 
stories she told. And now his one and only wish was 
to gird on his sword, and mount his horse, to go seek 
adventures and hunt up his sisters in the magic forest, 
and deliver them from their enchantment. 

As soon as he had been dubbed a knight, he begged 
his father to let him ride to the king’s host in Flanders, 
and take part in a campaign. The count was pleased 
with his son’s knightly courage, so he gave him horses 
and weapons, squires and horseboys, and sent him off 
with his blessing, though his worried mother was loath 
to see him go. 

No sooner had the young knight turned his back on 
his native town, than he left the king’s highway and 
trotted away to his father’s hunting castle, where he was 
taken in and entertained by the vassal who lived there. 
Early the following morning, while everyone in the 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 143 


castle was still fast asleep, Reinald saddled his horse, 
left his attendants behind, and full of youthful daring 
and courage, galloped off to the enchanted forest. 
The further he rode into it the thicker grew the trees, 
while the steep cliffs echoed and reechoed to the hoof- 
beats of his horse. Round about was nothing but a 
lonely wilderness, and the thickly growing trees seemed 
trying to prevent him from going on. So the young 
knight dismounted, left his horse to graze, and cut a 
way with his sword through the brush, climbing steep 
crags, and sliding down into deep gorges. With much 
labor he at last reached a winding valley, through 
which ran a clear brook. He followed its curves until 
in the distance a rocky grotto disclosed its subterranean 
mouth to his eyes, together with something that looked 
like a human figure. The daring youth now hastened 
his steps, and taking a path between the trees, peeped 
through the high oaks. There, directly opposite, in 
front of the grotto, a young woman was sitting in the 
grass, with one handsome boy in her lap while another 
child played in the grass. JR einald at once knew from 
his mother’s story that she must be his sister Wulfild, 
and hastily ran from his hiding-place to reveal himself 
to her. As soon as she saw him, however, she dropped 
the boy she was holding in the grass, hurried to meet 
him, and said in a sorrowful voice: a O youth, what 
unlucky star has led you into this forest? It is the 


i 4 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

dwelling-place of a savage bear, who devours every 
human being who comes to his abode. Flee and save 
your life!” 

Reinald bowed courteously to the lovely lady and 
answered: “Have no fear, noble lady! I know this 
forest and your adventures, and have come to break 
the magic spell which holds you captive here.” 

“Foolish youth!” she cried. “Who are you, who 
dare speak of breaking this powerful spell, and how 
are you going to do so?” 

“With this right arm and this good sword. I am 
Reinald, called the Wonder Child, the son of the count 
from whom three lovely daughters were robbed by 
this enchanted forest. Are you not Wuifild, my oldest 
sister?” 

When she heard this speech the lady was horrified, 
and looked at the youth with silent amazement. He 
made the most of his chance, and proved his claims by 
telling her so much family news that she could no 
longer doubt he was her brother. So she embraced 
him tenderly, though her knees shook as she did so, ow¬ 
ing to the danger which threatened him. 

Then she led her guest into the grotto in order to 
find a corner in which she could hide him. It was a 
broad, gloomy vault, and in one corner lay a heap of 
moss, on which the bear slept; while on the opposite 
side stood a splendid bed, hung with red damask and 
golden tassels, for the lady. Reinald had to promise 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


T 45 

to slip hurriedly under the bed and await what fate 
was in store for him. He was not to utter a sound or 
make the least bit of noise, and his anxious sister begged 
him, above all, not to cough or sneeze. No sooner had 
the young dare-devil crept into his place of refuge, 
than the savage bear came grumbling into the grotto, 
sniffing about everywhere with his great, black snout, 
covered with blood. For he had discovered the 
knight’s noble, cream-colored horse in the wood, and 
torn it to pieces. Wulfild sat on her stately bed as 
though on a hot stove, and her heart was filled with 
fear, for she saw that the bear was in a true bearish 
humor, because he suspected a stranger was concealed 
in the cave. 

In vain Wulfild petted him and scratched his ears, 
the moody beast paid no attention to her. “I smell 
human flesh,” he grumbled. “My dear Bear,” replied 
the lady, “what an idea! How could a human being 
stray into this lonely wilderness?” But the bear ob¬ 
stinately repeated, “I smell human flesh!” and kept 
sniffing about Wulfild’s bed. Reinald felt anything 
but comfortable, and in spite of his courage his brow 
was bedewed with a cold perspiration. Yet the ex¬ 
tremity of his danger restored the lady’s courage and 
confidence: “Friend Bear,” she said, “kindly stop 
this nonsense! Keep to your own side of the grotto or 
I shall grow angry 1” 

The bear pretended to pay no attention to this threat, 


146 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

but at the same time he was a little afraid of Wulfild 
and, when he finally started to thrust his shaggy head 
under the bed, she gave him such a hearty kick in his 
side that he crept off quite humbly to his heap of 
moss, licking his paws, and soon fell asleep and began 
to snore like the bear he was. Wulfild now refreshed 
her brother with a glass of raspberry vinegar and some 
biscuits, and told him not to lose heart, since the great¬ 
est danger was over. Then Reinald, much wearied by 
his adventure, fell into a deep slumber and soon was 
snoring as loudly as the bear himself. 

When he awoke he could not believe his eyes. He 
was in a magnificent chamber hung with silken tapes¬ 
tries, and the morning sun was shining brightly into 
the room through the curtains. Beside his bed, his 
clothes and armor had been carefully laid out on silken 
stools, and on one of them stood a small silver bell to 
summon the attendants. Reinald had no idea how he 
had been transported from the horrible grotto to this 
magnificent palace, and doubted whether he was dream¬ 
ing now, or whether he had dreamed his whole ad¬ 
venture in the forest. In order to settle the question 
he rang the bell. At once a handsomely dressed cham¬ 
berlain entered, asked after his commands, and said 
that his sister Wulfild and her husband Albert, called 
the Bear, were awaiting him with the greatest impa¬ 
tience. Although the word “Bear” made Reinald 
shudder, he dressed rapidly, stepped out into the ante- 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 147 


room, which was filled with pages, runners and hai- 
ducks, and with this suite following him, passed 
through a number of splendid apartments and into a 
great audience chamber. There his sister received 
him with all the grace and dignity of a queen; while 
beside her stood two charming children, a little prince 
of seven and a cunning little girl, who was still in 
leading-strings. A moment later Albert, called the 
Bear, entered; but there was absolutely nothing bearish 
about him, and he appeared to be the most amiable 
prince one could imagine. Wulfild introduced her 
brother, and Albert embraced his brother-in-law with 
the warmest friendship and brotherly love. 

The unfortunate prince and his entire court had been 
enchanted by an evil magician for days. That is to say, 
it was granted him, every seven days, to be rid of his 
enchantment from sunrise to sunrise. But as soon as 
the little silver stars paled in the heavens, the evil spell 
once more fell upon him with the morning dew. Then 
the castle turned into a steep, inaccessible cliff; the 
charming park surrounding it into a desert waste; the 
spraying fountains and cascades into dreary swamps; 
the lord of the castle himself became a shaggy bear, 
and his squires and knights changed into martens, while 
his court ladies and their maids flew about as owls and 
bats, which cheeped and lamented day and night. It 
was on one of the unenchanted days that Albert had 
led home his bride. Lovely Wulfild, who first wept 


148 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

six days in the belief that she had been carried off by a 
shaggy bear, was happy when, on the seventh, she 
found that her husband was a handsome young knight, 
who led her into a splendid palace where all sorts of 
bridal festivities awaited her. She was received by 
pretty maidens in myrtle-wreaths, who sang and played 
string music in her honor, took off her simple country 
clothes, and adorned her with royal robes. And 
though Wulfild was not vain, she could not help but 
feel pleased with her appearance as reflected by the 
crystal mirrors which hung on every wall of her room. 
A great banquet followed the marriage ceremony, and 
the day ended with a splendid costume ball. When 
she entered her bridal chamber, where little Cupids 
with golden wings looked down from the blue skies 
of the ceiling, she had forgotten all about the dreadful 
six days of beardom which had gone before. 

When she awoke the following morning, however, 
and raised the silken curtain of her bed, she was 
shocked to find that she was in a kind of gloomy cellar 
vault, in a far corner of which she recognized the hor¬ 
rible figure of the bear, who was looking at her in a 
gloomy and dejected manner. 

She sank back on her pillows, and after a time broke 
out into loud lamentations, which were answered by 
the croaking voices of a hundred owls outside the cave. 
The sensitive bear could not bear to witness this sad 
scene. He felt he must get out under heaven’s blue 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 149 

sky to pant forth his grief and rage at his hard fate. 
Heavily he rose from his bed of moss, trotted grum¬ 
bling into the forest, and did not return until the seventh 
day, a short time before regaining his human shape. 
The six sorrowful days in the meantime had seemed six 
unhappy years to the lady. In the excitement of the 
wedding, everyone had forgotten to provide the bride 
with a supply of food (for the magician’s spell had no 
power over lifeless things which Wulfild herself 
touched), so the unfortunate girl had gone without 
eating for two days. At last she grew so hungry that 
she slipped out of the cave, drank a little water from 
the brook flowing past it in the hollow of her hand, 
picked some berries which grew on the bushes and even, 
in her wild confusion, swallowed a handful of acorns, 
bringing back an apronful of them to the cave, though 
she hardly knew that she did so, for she felt quite will¬ 
ing to die. 

With this thought uppermost in her mind she fell 
asleep on the evening of the seventh day and awoke in 
the handsome room to which she had retired on her 
wedding night. Soon her husband entered, and after 
begging her forgiveness with tears in his eyes, explained 
the nature of the magic spell, and the fact that he was 
released from it only every seventh day. Wulfild was 
touched by her husband’s kindness and consideration. 
She decided to resign herself to her fate, and make her 
Albert the happiest human bear under the sun. In 


150 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


order not to starve again on her return to the grotto, 
when at the palace table she always laid aside a plenti¬ 
ful supply of cakes, confections, sweet oranges and 
other fine fruit in a couple of wide pockets she had 
made in her dress. And she also carefully put aside 
some of the pleasant beverages which were served; so 
that after her first unhappy experience she always had 
plenty to eat and drink in the cave. Nature is kind 
to those who suffer from evil enchantments and so, al¬ 
though Wulfild had already lived twenty-one years in 
the magic forest, nature only charged her with three 
and she was as young and beautiful as ever. And the 
same applied to the enchanted husband and his 
court. 

All this the noble pair confided to Reinald while 
they took a little walk through the park, sitting under a 
bower formed of wild jasmine and rambler roses. The 
happy day passed quickly amid all sorts of distractions. 
Dinner was served and then there were games, and 
some of the courtiers strolled together with the ladies 
in the park, with merry jests and lute-music, until the 
trumpets called them to supper, which was eaten in a 
long gallery whose walls were covered with mirrors, 
by the light of thousands of waxen tapers. All ate, 
drank and were merry until the hour of midnight. 
Wulfild, as usual, filled her large pockets with food, 
and advised Reinald to do the same. 

When the table had been cleared, Albert seemed to 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 151 

grow restless and whispered something in his wife’s 
ear. She at once took her brother to one side and sadly 
said: “Dear brother, it is time for us to part. The 
hour of transformation is drawing near, when all the 
joys of this palace will disappear. Albert is worried 
about you. He fears for your life, for he would not 
be able to resist his animal instinct, were he to meet 
you in the woods, and he would at once tear you 
to pieces. So leave the enchanted forest and never 
come back again!” 

“No, no,” cried Reinald. “Let fate have her way 
with me, but do not ask me to part from you, my dear 
ones! I came here to seek you, sister mine, and now 
that I have found you I shall not leave the enchanted 
forest without you. Tell me how I can free you from 
this powerful enchantment?” “Alas,” said his sister, 
“that is something no human being can do!” 

Here Albert interrupted their talk, and when he had 
joined them and had heard the brave young knight’s 
resolve, he begged him so urgently not to carry it out 
that Reinald finally yielded to his brother-in-law’s 
prayers and his sister’s tears, and agreed to say farewell 
to them. 

Albert parted from the brave youth with a brotherly 
hug, and then, after his sister had clasped him around 
the neck and he was about to go, took a portfolio from 
his pocket and from it drew three bear’s hairs, wrapped 
them in a piece of paper, and jokingly handed them to 


152 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


the knight as a remembrance of his adventure in the 
enchanted forest. “At the same time,” he added seri¬ 
ously, “should you ever need help in time of need, rub 
the three hairs between your hands and see what hap¬ 
pens.” 



A splendid carriage to which were 


horses stood waiting in the courtyard of the castle, sur¬ 
rounded by many horsemen and servants. “Farewell, 
my brother!” cried Albert, called the Bear, as he stood 
at the carriage step. “Farewell, my brother!” an¬ 
swered Reinald the Wonder Child, and with that the 
carriage thundered across the drawbridge, and was off 
and away. The golden stars were still gleaming 
brightly in the dark skies of night, as the carriage and 
its escort rolled over stick and stone, up-hill and down- 
dale, across meadow and field at full gallop, without 
a moment’s pause. After an hour had passed the sky 
began to turn grey, and suddenly all the torches the 
horsemen carried went out, Reinald dropped to the 
ground with a thud, without any idea of what had hap¬ 
pened, and the carriage, together with horses and horse¬ 
men, vanished. In the grey light of dawn, however, 

he noticed six black ants drawing a nut-shell galloping 

> 

away between his feet. Then the bold young knight 
had an idea of what had occurred. Taking care not to 
step on an ant by mistake, he quietly waited until the 
sun rose and then, as he was still within the boundaries 
of the enchanted forest, decided to hunt up his two 





TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 153 


younger sisters and even if he did not free them from 
their enchantment, at least pay them a visit. 

For three days he wandered about the forest without 
meeting with any adventure. And he had just swal¬ 
lowed the last piece of white bread he had brought 
with him from the table of his brother-in-law Albert, 
called the Bear, when he heard a great rustling high 
above his head in the air, as though a ship were cleav¬ 
ing the waves in full sail. Looking up he saw a tre¬ 
mendous eagle, who had just dropped into a nest which 
he had in a tall tree. Reinald was delighted with this 
discovery, and hid himself in the brush to wait for the 
eagle to leave the nest again. When seven hours had 
passed the eagle rose into the air once more, and the 
youth immediately stepped into the clearing and cried 
in a loud voice: “Adelheid, dear sister, if you are 
dwelling in this high oak, answer me, for I am your 
brother Reinald, known as the Wonder Child! I am 
looking for you, and wish to deliver you from the 
magic spell which binds you!” 

As soon as he had stopped speaking, a gentle, girlish 
voice answered from above, as though from the clouds: 
“If you are Reinald, the Wonder Child, your sister 
Adelheid welcomes you! Do not delay climbing up 
and embracing her, for she is sad at heart.” 

Charmed with this speech, the knight boldly made 
an attempt to climb the high oak, but in vain. He 
ran around the stem three times, but it was too thick 


154 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


for him to get his arms about it, and the nearest limbs 
were too high above the ground for him to reach. 
While he was thinking of some w^ay of climbing the 
tree, a silken ladder dropped down to him, by whose 
aid he soon reached the top of the tree and the eagle’s 
nest, built as solidly as a platform in a linden-crown. 
There he found his sister sitting under a canopy pro¬ 
tected from the weather on the outside by wax taffeta, 
and lined on the inside with rose-colored satin, hold¬ 
ing a charming babe in her lap. Brother and sister 
greeted each other tenderly, and Adelheid seemed well 
informed about all that had taken place at home, and 
knew that Reinald was her brother. Her husband, 
Edgar, called the Eagle, was enchanted by weeks. 
That is, he was freed from his enchantment every sev¬ 
enth week. In the meantime, to please her, her hus¬ 
band had often flown to her father’s court and thus 
brought back news from time to time. Adelheid in¬ 
vited her brother to spend their next transformation¬ 
time with them, and though it was six weeks off, 
Reinald was more than willing to do so. She hid him 
in a hollow tree, and day by day supplied him from the 
provisions she kept under her sofa, where she stored 
away food enough for the six weeks intervening. She 
took leave of her brother with some good advice: “As 
you love your life, do not let Edgar’s eagle eyes spy 
you! If he sees you in the brush, that will be the end 
of you. He will pick out your eyes, and devour you 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 155 


as he devoured three or four squires, whom he found 
wandering about the forest yesterday!” 

Reinald shuddered to think of the fate of his squires, 
promised to be careful, and patiently waited in his hol¬ 
low tree for six tiresome weeks; though he had the 
pleasure of visiting with his sister when the eagle left 
the nest. Yet in the end his patience was rewarded by 
the seven happy days he passed. 

The reception his Eagle brother-in-law gave him 
was no less hearty than that he had received from his 
brother-in-law the Bear. Edgar’s palace and court 
was as splendid as Albert’s, every day was a day of 
feasts and festivities, and the time of the fateful change 
drew near only too rapidly. On the evening of the 
seventh day, Edgar dismissed his guest with a tender 
embrace, yet warned him against remaining in his part 
of the forest. “Must I part from you forever, you 
dear ones?” said Reinald sorrowfully. “Is it impos¬ 
sible to break the magic spell which holds you captive 
here? Had I a hundred lives to lose, I would dare 
them all to release you!” 

Edgar shook his hand heartily: “Thank you, noble 
young man,” he cried, “for your love and friendship, 
but give up all thought of such a venture. It is pos¬ 
sible to break the magic spell which holds us, but 
should you dare the attempt? If you undertake it and 
fail, you will lose your life, and you shall not make 
such a sacrifice for my sake!” 


156 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


This speech only made Reinald the more eager to 
dare the adventure. His eyes sparkled with longing, 
and his cheeks glowed hopefully at the prospect of 
freeing them. He insisted that his brother-in-law 
Edgar tell him how he could break the enchantment 
of the magic forest. But the latter would not disclose 
the secret to him, for fear the daring youth might lose 
his life. 

“All that I can say, dear companion,’' he concluded, 
“is that you yourself must find the key to our enchant¬ 
ment if you are to succeed in delivering usd' 

With that he drew out his portfolio and took from 
it three eagle feathers, which he handed to the knight 
as a remembrance of his visit. Then they parted the 
best of friends. Edgar’s marshal of the court and his 
courtiers accompanied the esteemed visitor along a 
long alley, planted with towering weeping willows and 
cypresses, to the end of Edgar's estates, locked the iron- 
barred gates, and then hurried back, for the time of 
transformation was near. 

Reinald sat down beneath a linden-tree to watch the 
change take place. The full moon was shining bright 
and clear, and he could see Edgar’s castle high above 
the crests of the tallest trees. But the dawn buried it 
in a thick mist, and when it had disappeared in the 
rays of the rising sun, castle, park and iron-bound gate 
had vanished, and he found himself in a dreary waste, 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 157 






on a rocky cliff beside a deep abyss. The young ad¬ 
venturer looked high and low for some path which 
would lead him into the valley. Far, far away in the 
distance he saw a lake whose surface reflected the sun- 
rays in silver light. With the greatest difficulty he 
pushed on all day long through the thick forest, his 
whole heart set on reaching the lake, where he sus¬ 
pected he might find his sister Bertha. Yet the deeper 
he penetrated into the tangled wild-wood the harder 
he found it to go on, and finally he lost sight of the 

lake together with all hope of finding it. Yet toward 

• 

sunset he once more saw the silver water gleaming 
through the trees as the forest grew more open, and 
at last reached the shore just as night was beginning 
to fall. Worn and weary, he lay down under a tree, 
and did not wake until the sun was high in the skies. 
Strengthened and refreshed by his slumbers, he then 
quickly leaped up and strode up and down the shore 
of the lake, trying to think of some way of reaching 
his sister under the water. 

In vain he called out: “Bertha, dear sister, if you 
are living in this lake then answer me! I am Reinald, 
your brother, known as the Wonder Child, and have 
come to release you from your enchantment, and lead 
you out of your wet and watery prison!” His only an¬ 
swer was a thousandfold echo in the forest. 

“Ye dear fishes,” he went on, as whole schools of 



158 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


red-speckled trout swam to the shore and seemed to be 
staring at him, “tell your mistress that her brother is 
waiting here on the shore to meet her!” 

He broke up all the bread crusts he still had in his 
pockets and threw them into the lake, hoping to bribe 
the fishes to carry his message to his sister. But the 
trout greedily snapped up the crumbs without paying 
any further attention to him. Then Reinald saw that 
his speech to the fish had been wasted, so he tried to 
gain his ends by other means. As a well-trained knight 
he had practiced every manly art, and could swim like 
a musk-rat. So he took off his armor, k*jpt only his 
bare sword among all his weapons and—since the little 
boat his father once had found was nowhere in sight— 
leaped boldly into the water clad only in his scarlet 
tunic, to look for his brother-in-law Behemoth. “He 
will not swallow me out of hand,” thought Reinald to 
himself, “and no doubt will let me talk sense to him, 
as he did my father.” So he splashed about in the 
water in order to attract the attention of the sea mon¬ 
ster, and floated out into the middle of the lake on the 
blue waves. 

While his strength allowed, he followed his watery 
path without meeting any adventure; but when he be¬ 
gan to tire he glanced back at the shore and saw, not 
far away, a thin mist which seemed to come from a 
column of ice rising above the water. Swimming with 
all his might in order to look at it close by, he found 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 159 


a short column of mountain crystal, seemingly hollow, 
rising above the surface of the lake. Out of this 
column a most appetizing odor rose in little clouds of 
steam, which the breezes playfully spread about the 
lake. The daring swimmer thought that this was 
probably the chimney of his sister’s subterranean dwell¬ 
ing, and was brave enough to slip into it. Nor had 
his guess been wrong. The chimney-flue led straight 
down to the fire-place in the bedroom of the lovely 
Bertha, who, dressed in a flowered wrapper, was that 
very moment preparing her morning chocolate over 
a little fire of red sandal-wood. When the lady heard 
the noise in the chimney, and suddenly saw two human 
feet jerking about in the flue, she was so startled by 
the unexpected visit that she overturned the pot of 
chocolate in her fright, and fell back fainting in her 
arm-chair. 

Reinald shook her until she regained her senses and, 
as soon as she had recovered she said in a faint voice: 
“Unfortunate wretch, whoever you may be, how dare 
you enter this subterranean dwelling? Do you not 
know that your boldness will result in your death?” 
“Have no fear, my dear,” said the brave knight, “I am 
Reinald, the Wonder Child, your brother, and I have 
dared death and danger to visit my beloved sisters and 
try to break the magic spell which holds them captive.” 
Then Bertha tenderly embraced her brother, though 
her slender body trembled with fear. 


i6o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Ufo the Dolphin had, from time to time, visited her 
father’s court in the strictest incognito—or, in other 
words, disguised so that none knew who he was—and 
he had recently discovered that Reinald had set forth 
to find his sisters. He had often regretted the youth’s 
daring venture. 

“If his brother-in-law the Bear does not devour him, 
or his brother-in-law the Eagle peck out his eyes, then 
I myself, his brother-in-law Dolphin, will not fail to 
swallow him, for I know I could not resist the animal 
instinct to let him slide down my throat if I met him. 
And if you, my darling, Vvere to clasp him in your arms 
to protect him, I would shatter the crystal walls of 
your dwelling, and you would drown when the waters 
rushed in and filled it. He himself would disappear 
in my capacious stomach, for as you know, my pet, 
visitors are not received in our house during the time 
of transformation.” 

Lovely Bertha hid none of these things from her 
brother, but he only answered: “Hide me where the 
sea monster cannot see me, as my other sisters did, so 
that I can stay with you until the month of disenchant* 
ment comes?” 

“Alas,” said Bertha, “where could I hide you? Do 
you not see that this house is built of crystal, and that 
its walls are as transparent as the clear ice-sky which 
surrounds the entire world?” “There must be some 
corner in this house where I could be hidden from His 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 161 


sight,” answered Reinald, “or are you the only woman 
unable to hide something from her husband?” 

Lovely Bertha had never had a reason to hide any¬ 
thing from her husband before, but after much thought 
she remembered the store-room where she kept her 
fire-wood, and decided that she might be able to hide 
her brother there. He made no objection, but ar¬ 
ranged the wood in the transparent room as artfully 
as a beaver darkens the walls of his underground den, 
and hid himself in it. His sister then hurried away, 
put on her best dress, and went into the audience hall 
to await the visit of her husband, Ufo the Dolphin. 
Now, the only way Ufo the Dolphin could visit his 
charming wife during the time he was disguised as a 
sea-monster, was by swimming around the outside of 
the crystal house and looking in at her. 

No sooner had the lovely Bertha entered the 
audience-room than the monster fish came swimming 
up. While he was still at a distance the waves began 
to roar, and the flood swirled and eddied in rings about 
the crystal palace. The sea monster stood outside be¬ 
fore the room, breathed in streams of water and 
breathed them out again from his great maw, while he 
silently stared at his charming wife out of glaring, sea- 
green eyes. Yet, though Bertha tried to look as though 
nothing had happened, her heart trembled, she 
breathed quickly and nervously, and her cheeks and 
lips kept blushing and paling in turn. Though he was 




i 6 z FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


only a fish, the Dolphin was not stupid. He felt that 
something was not in order, made some horrible grim¬ 
aces, and shot off as swiftly as an arrow. Then he 
swam around the palace, darting hither and thither, 
and creating such an uproar with the waves that the 
walls of the crystal dwelling shook, and poor, fright¬ 
ened Bertha thought he would shatter them any minute! 

Yet, though he examined everything thoroughly, the 
Dolphin could discover nothing which justified his sus¬ 
picions. Gradually he grew quieter, and fortunately 
he had so stirred the water that Bertha’s state of terror 
escaped his notice. He swam away and the lady slowly 
recovered from her fright. Reinald remained quietly 
in the wood-pile until the time of disenchantment ar¬ 
rived. Yet brother-in-law Dolphin still had a vague 
suspicion, for he never forgot to swim around the 
house three times a day, and look at every corner of 
the crystal palace. But he did not act as ferociously 
as he had the first time, and at last the hour of disen¬ 
chantment freed the patient prisoner from his lonely 
wood-pile. 

One day when he awoke, he found himself in a royal 
palace on a little island. Buildings, pleasure-gardens, 
market-places, all seemed to be swimming on the sur¬ 
face of the water, hundreds of gondolas were shooting 
about the canals, and the open squares were filled with 
a gay and merry throng. In short, the palace of his 
brother-in-law Dolphin was a little Venice. The 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 163 


young knight was received with the same hearty friend¬ 
liness he had met with at the courts of his other 
brothers-in-law. Ufo the Dolphin was enchanted for 
months, and the seventh month was always the month 
when he was freed from the enchantment for the time 
being. Since Reinald spent more time with him he 
became better acquainted with his brother-in-law Ufo, 
and more intimate with him than with the others. For 
a long time Reinald had been tormented with curiosity 
to find out how fate had come to curse the three princes 
with so unnatural a state of enchantment. He often 
questioned his sister Bertha, but she could give him 
no information, and Ufo preserved a mysterious silence 
concerning the riddle. So Reinald’s curiosity was not 
gratified. Meanwhile, the days of happiness hurried 
by on the wings of the wind, and the moon lost her sil¬ 
ver horns and grew fuller every day. 

One evening, when they had taken a walk together, 
Ufo informed his brother-in-law Reinald that they 
would have to part in a few hours; and advised him 
to return to his parents, who were much worried about 
him. His mother especially, so he said, could not be 
comforted since she had found out that he had gone 
hunting adventures in the enchanted forest instead of 
riding to Flanders. Reinald asked whether there were 
any adventures still to be dared in the magic forest, 
and Ufo said there was one more, of which he had 
already been told: that of obtaining the key to the en- 


164 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


chantments, and destroying the powerful talisman 
which bound his brothers-in-law. So long as the talis¬ 
man kept its power, there was no hope of release for 
the three princes. 

“However,” Ufo added in his kindly way, “take my 
advice, young man, and thank the translunar spirits 
and the protection of your sisters that you have not be¬ 
come a victim of your venture to ride through the 
magic forest. Be content with the fame you already 
have earned, return home and tell your parents all that 
has happened, and bring back your dear mother from 
the brink of the grave to which grief and sorrow on 
your account have brought her!” 

Reinald promised to do as Ufo wished—with the 
exception of one or two things. For it is well known 
that sons, when they have grown to be big, boisterous 
fellows, and can ride about on wild horses, do not al¬ 
ways pay heed to a mother’s tears. Ufo soon saw what 
the youth had in mind, so he drew forth his portfolio 
and took from it three fish-scales, which he gave to 
Reinald, saying: “If some day you want help in time 
of need, rub these between your hands till they are 
warm, and see what happens.” 

Reinald then entered a beautiful gilded gondola and 
was rowed ashore by two gondoliers. No sooner had 
he reached the shore than gondola, castle, gardens and 
market-places all vanished, and nothing was left of all 
the splendor but a fish-pond, round which grew rushes 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 165 

which bowed and rustled in the morning breeze. The 
knight found himself on the very spot where he had 
daringly leaped into the water three months before. 
His shield and armor lay where he had left them and 
his lance where he had thrust it into the ground. But 
he promised himself that he would never rest until he 
held the key to the enchantments in his hand. 

Ill 

The Key to the Enchantments 

“Who will tell me the way and who will set my 
feet in the path which will lead me to the most won¬ 
derful adventure of all the adventures of this endless 
forest? O ye translunar powers, look kindly down on 
me, and if any human being can break the magic spell, 
let me be that happy mortal!” 

Thus Reinald spoke in his heart and soul, and then 
at once pushed on into the pathless forest. For seven 
long days he wandered through the endless wilderness 
without fear or trembling, and for seven nights he slept 
under the open sky, till his weapons grew rusty with 
the dews of night. On the eighth day he climbed a 
rocky peak from which he could look down into tre¬ 
mendous depths. On one side opened a green valley 
surrounded by high walls of rocky granite, on which 
grew pines and cypresses. In the distance he saw what 




166 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


looked to him like some kind of monument. Two gi¬ 
gantic marble columns with capitals and pedestals of 
brass supported a Doric crosspiece, which rested 
against the rocky wall, and over-shadowed a steel por¬ 
tal provided with strong bolts and bars. Not far from 
this portal a great black bull was grazing as though 
guarding the entrance. 

This sight made Reinald sure he had found the ad¬ 
venture of which his brother-in-law Ufo had spoken, 
and he at once made up his mind to dare it. He 
slipped down from the rocky peak to the valley below, 
and came within bow-shot of the bull before the latter 
discovered him. As soon as it saw him, the savage 
beast leaped up, ran furiously to and fro as though pre¬ 
paring for battle, lowered its head and snorted till 
clouds of dust arose, stamped the ground with its hoofs 
till the earth trembled, and rammed its horns against 
the rocks till the latter broke into pieces. 

Reinald stood on the defensive, and when the bull 
charged he skillfully avoided its dangerous horns and 
gave the monster’s neck such a powerful blow with his 
sword that he thought he must have cut off its head. 
But alas, the bull’s neck was proof against steel and 
iron! The sword broke into pieces, and only the hilt 
remained in the knight’s hand. All he had left with 
which to defend himself was his oakwood lance 
with its double-edged point of steel. When the bull 
charged a second time, the lance broke like straw. 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 167 


Then the black bull raised the helpless youth on its 
horns and flung him high into the air like a feather 
ball, watching for him to fall, in order to catch him 
or trample him beneath its hoofs. Fortunately, as he 
was falling, Reinald happened to drop into the spread¬ 
ing branches of a wild pear tree which caught him in 
a kindly embrace. Though every rib in his body 
seemed to crack, he had enough presence of mind left 
to cling to the tree, while the furious bull ran so vio¬ 
lently against it with its brazen forehead that it came 
up by the roots and was about to fall. 

As the murderous beast turned back for another 
charge, Reinald happened to think of the gifts his 
brothers-in-law had given him. Chance put the paper 
with the three bear’s hairs into his hand first. He 
rubbed them as hard as he could, and that very moment 
a savage bear appeared, who at once began to fight 
furiously with the bull. Soon the bear gained the 
upper hand, it struck down the bull and tore it to 
pieces. But as it did so, a timid duck shot up out of 
the bull’s body and flew off with a loud cry. Reinald 
suspected that the bird was mocking the bear’s victory 
over the bull, and that if it escaped its value would 
be lost. So he quickly seized the three eagle feathers 
and rubbed them between his hands. At once an enor¬ 
mous eagle appeared in the air, at whose sight the 
timid duck tried to hide in the bushes. But while the 
eagle floated high above it in the air, the knight at 






168 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


once drove the duck from its hiding-place and pur¬ 
sued it to a clearing in the forest where the trees grew 
far apart and it could not hide. There the duck took 
to the air, and flew off in the direction of the fish-pond. 
At once the eagle shot down from the skies and seized 
and killed the duck. But while the eagle was doing 
this a golden egg fell from it into the water. Reinald, 
who had been watching carefully, knew that he had 
to deal with a new deceit. He at once rubbed his fish- 
scales between his hands and lo and behold, a dolphin 
raised its head from the water, caught the golden egg 
in its mouth, and spewed it out on the shore. Then 
the knight was glad at heart. He broke open the 
golden egg with a stone, and out fell a little key, which 
he at once knew must be the key to the enchantments. 

Quickly he hastened back to the steel door in the 
rock. The little key seemed to be far too small for 
the monstrous lock; yet he thought he would try it, 
and no sooner had he touched it than the lock sprang 
open of its own accord, the bolts and bars drew back 
of themselves, and the steel portal opened wide before 
him. With a glad heart he descended into a gloomy 
grotto, in which seven doors led to seven subterranean 
chambers, each one of them magnificently decorated 
and lit with the finest wax tapers. Reinald passed 
through one after the other, and in the very last found 
an alcove in which a beautiful young girl lay in a 
magic slumber on a sofa. 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 169 

He fell in love with the sleeping beauty at first sight, 
and when he had recovered from his surprise, looked 
about the room, and opposite the lovely sleeper, dis¬ 
covered an alabaster tablet on which all sorts of curious 
characters were engraved. He at once suspected that 
this was the magic talisman whose power was respon¬ 
sible for all the enchantments of the forest. Filled 
with honest indignation, he clenched his fist in the iron 
gauntlet he wore, and struck it with all his might. At 
once the beautiful maiden awoke from her sleep, 
looked timidly at the talisman, and then sank back 
into slumber. Again Reinald repeated his blow and 
the same thing happened. 

Reinald now resolved to destroy the talisman; but 
since he had neither sword nor lance, nothing but his 
two strong arms, he seized the alabaster tablet and 
dashed it down from its high marble pedestal on the 
marble floor, where it broke into bits. The young 
lady again awoke from her deathlike slumber, and this 
time saw the knight, who had respectfully dropped on 
one knee before her. Yet before she addressed him 
she hid her lovely face in her veil, and then said 
angrily: “Away with you, disgusting monster! Even 
in the disguise of a handsome youth you shall not de¬ 
ceive my eyes nor win my heart. You know how I 
feel with regard to you, so let me return to the death¬ 
like sleep your magic spells have cast over me!” 

Reinald saw that the lady had made a mistake, so 






170 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

he did not take her angry speech to heart, but said: 
“Charming lady, do not be angry! I am no disgusting 
monster, who holds you captive here, but Count 
Reinald, known as the Wonder Child. See, the magic 
spell which held you enchanted has been destroyed!” 

The maiden now peeped out at him from beneath 
her veil, and when she saw the alabaster tablet lying 
broken on the ground she was amazed at the young 
adventurer’s daring deed, gave him a friendly glance, 
and saw that he was good to look upon. So she held 
out her hand, told him to rise and said: “If all be 
as you say, noble knight, then complete your work and 
lead me out of this horrible cave, so that I may once 
more see God’s bright sunshine, if it be day outside, 
or His golden stars, if it be night!” 

Reinald offered her his arm, to lead her through the 
seven magnificent rooms, but when he opened the door 
the darkness was so thick that one could feel it. All 
the candles had gone out and the crystal chandelier no 
longer poured down its soft, glimmering light from 
the high roof of the basalt vault. The noble pair had 
to feel their way in the dark for a long time before they 
managed to escape from the long corridors, and saw 
the light of day gleaming in the distant entrance to the 
rocky cavern. The maiden who had been freed from 
the magic spell breathed in the piney air of the forest 
and the fragrance of the flowers which covered the 
blooming meadows of the valley with delight. Then 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 171 


she sat down in the grass with the handsome knight 
and each thought the other a most pleasant companion. 
But Reinald, for all he so greatly admired the lady, 
was very curious to know who she might be, so he po¬ 
litely begged her to tell him. At once the fair un¬ 
known opened her rosy lips and said: 

“My name is Hildegarde and I am the daughter of 
Radbod, Prince of Pomerania. Zornebock, the Prince 
of the Sorbs, demanded my hand from my father in 
marriage. Yet, seeing that he was a horrible giant 
and an unbelieving pagan, and had the name of being 
an evil sorcerer and magician besides, he was refused 
under the pretext that I was too young. This made 
the pagan very angry. He met my father, slew him 
in battle and took possession of my lands. I had taken 
refuge with my aunt, the Countess of Vohburg, for my 
three brothers, all brave knights, were knight-errants 
at the time, and out of the country. My place of 
refuge could not be hidden from the magician. As 
soon as he had overrun my father’s principality, it oc¬ 
curred to him to capture me, and in view of his black 
magic this was not hard for him to do. My uncle, the 
count, was passionately fond of hunting, and I often 
rode with him to the chase. When this was the case, 
all the knights at his court competed in offering me the 
best horse. 

“One day an unknown head groom crowded up to me 
with a magnificent dapple-grey horse and asked me, 




t72 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


in his master’s name, to mount it and regard it as my 
property. When I inquired who his master might be, 
he begged me to excuse him from answering until I 
had tested the horse; but said he would gladly tell me 
after my return from the hunt, if he found I did not 
disdain the gift. I could not very well refuse this 
offer; besides, the horse was so splendidly harnessed 
that it blinded the eyes of the whole court. Gold and 
precious stones and the richest embroidery had been 
lavished on its purple saddle-cloth. A red silk bridle 
ran from its jaws to its neck. Curb-bit and stirrups 
were of solid gold, thickly encrusted with rubies. I 
swung myself into the saddle and was vain enough to 
think that I looked well on my mount. The gait of 
this noble steed was so light and easy that it hardly 
seemed to touch the ground with its hoofs. It rose 
like a bird over ditches and hedges, and the most dar¬ 
ing horsemen could not follow it. A white deer which 
I had started early during the hunt, and which I pur¬ 
sued, led me deep into the forest, and separated me 
from the other huntsmen. At last, in order not to lose 
my way, I gave up the white deer and tried to ride 
back to the meeting-place we had agreed upon. But 
now the dapple-grey steed refused to obey me; it 
reared, shook its mane and grew wild and restive. I 
tried to soothe it, but that very moment I saw with 
horror that the horse had turned into a horrible 
feathered monster beneath me. Its fore hoofs had 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


173 


spread out into a pair of wings, its neck had become 
longer, a broad beak had grown out of its head, and 
the first thing I knew I was seated on a long-legged 
hippogryph, which took a little run and then rose in 
the air. In less than an hour’s time it set me down 
in front of the steel portal of an ancient castle, here in 
the forest. 

“My first terror, from which I had not as yet re¬ 
covered, was increased when I caught sight of the 
same head groom who had brought me the dapple- 
grey horse in the morning, and who now drew near 
in a respectful manner to lift me from the saddle. 
Dumb with terror and anger, I allowed myself to be 
led in silence through a number of splendid apart¬ 
ments to a company of ladies beautifully dressed, who 
greeted me as their mistress, and placed themselves at 
my service. All waited on me with the greatest devo¬ 
tion, but not one of them would tell me where I was 
or in whose power. 

“I then gave myself up to a silent despair which was 
soon interrupted. Zornebock, the evil magician, sud¬ 
denly lay at my feet in the shape of a yellow gipsy, 
and begged me to love and marry him. I answered 
him as seemed right for me to answer the slayer of my 
father. The sorcerer was savage and unmannerly, his 
heart was filled with rage; yet I dared his rage and 
begged him to carry out his threats, destroy the palace 
and let me be buried beneath its ruins. But the moil- 








174 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

ster quickly left me, and gave me a short time in which 
to think matters over. 

“Seven days later he renewed his hateful attentions. 
I repulsed them with scorn, and he rushed raging from 
the room. Not long after the ground shook beneath 
my feet, and the castle seemed to have rolled into an 
abyss. I sank down on my sofa and became uncon¬ 
scious. The magician’s terrible voice woke me from 
my death-like sleep: ‘Awake, lovely sleeper,’ he said, 
‘from your seven years’ slumber, and tell me whether 
the flight of time has made you feel more kindly toward 
your faithful slave? If you can give me the least little 
glimmer of hope, this gloomy grotto shall turn into a 
temple of joy!’ 

“I did not honor the wretched sorcerer with a word 
or a look, but only veiled my face and wept silently. 
My sorrow seemed to move him: he begged, pleaded, 
lamented loudly, and writhed like a worm at my feet. 
Finally his patience gave out. He leaped up quickly 
and said: ‘Very well, seven years from now we will 
talk matters over again!’ 

“Then he replaced the alabaster tablet on its pedes¬ 
tal, and the sleep I could not resist again weighed 
down my eyes until the cruel monster once more dis¬ 
turbed my repose. 

“ ‘Heartless one,’ he said this time, ‘if you continue 
to show yourself cruel to me, at least spare your 
brothers! My faithless head groom told them of your 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 175 

4 

fate and, though I have punished the traitor, they 
marched against me with horse and foot. The poor 
wretches thought to tear you from my hand, but my 
hand was too strong for them, and they are now regret¬ 
ting their foolishness in the shape of various beasts in 
this enchanted forest.’ 

“Such a miserable falsehood, spoken to undermine 
my constancy, only made me despise the magician the 
more. I answered him with the most bitter scorn and 
contempt. Wretched creature,’ then cried the furious 
pagan, ‘your fate is sealed! You shall sleep as long 
as the invisible powers obey this talisman!’ 

“Once more he raised the alabaster tablet to its ped¬ 
estal, and the magic sleep robbed me of consciousness. 
You, noble knight, have awakened me from my death¬ 
like slumber by shattering the talisman. Yet I do not 
understand by what means you have been able to do 
this, nor how you have been able to withstand the ma¬ 
gician. Zornebock must be dead, for otherwise you 
could not have shattered the talisman without suffer¬ 
ing from it.” 

The charming Hildegarde was quite right in sup¬ 
posing that Zornebock was dead. The monster had 
made a foray into the Bohemian land, over which the 
Princess Libussa, who was descended from the fairies, 
then reigned. In the arts of magic, Zornebock was a 
mere child compared to the famous Bohemian queen. 
She quickly got the better of him by her enchantments, 


176 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


so that he had to flee the battle-field, and was slain by 
one of her doughty knights, to whom she had given 
magic weapons against which Zornebock’s spells were 
of no avail. 

Once the beautiful Hildegarde had finished, Reinald 
told her of his adventures. When he spoke of the 
three enchanted princes of the forest, his brothers-in- 
law, she was much surprised. For now she saw that 
Zornebock had spoken the truth. Reinald was about 
to end his tale when the whole mountains re-echoed 
with great cries of joy and triumph. A little later 
three companies of horsemen broke out of the forest, 
at the head of which Hildegarde recognized her 
brothers and Reinald his sisters. The magic enchant¬ 
ments of the forest had been broken. After many em¬ 
braces and exclamations of pleasure the caravan of the 
disenchanted ones left the horrible wilderness, and 
hastened to the old count’s hunting castle. Thence 
messengers were sent post-haste to the count’s residence 
to announce the glad news that his children had ar¬ 
rived. 

When the messengers got there the court had just 
gone into mourning for young Count Reinald, who 
had been given up for dead. His sorrowing mother 
was interested only in giving him a splendid funeral. 
But the glad news brought about an immediate change. 
All sorrow turned to joy, and in a couple of days the 
venerable parents had the delight of embracing their 


TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS 


177 


children and grandchildren. Amid all the festivities 
which marked the happy reunion, that which attracted 
most attention was Reinald’s wedding to the beautiful 
Hildegarde. A whole year went by in constantly 
changing pleasures and pastimes. 

At last the three princes decided that if they did 
nothing but amuse themselves for too long a time, the 
courage and daring of their knights and esquires would 
suffer. Besides, the count’s residence was too small to 
hold so many courts and courtiers; and the three sons- 
in-law prepared to depart. Reinald, the heir, would 
not leave his aged parents again, and stayed with them 
to the end. Albert the Bear bought the lordship of 
Ascania, and founded the city of Bernburg; Edgar the 
Eagle took his way to the land of Helvetia, beneath 
the shadow of the towering Alps, and there built Aar- 
burg on a nameless river which has since been called 
after the city; Ufo the Dolphin made an armed inroad 
into Burgundy, conquered part of that kingdom, and 
called the conquered province the Dauphinate. 

And just as the three princes recalled the memory 
of their enchantment in the names of the cities and 
families they founded, so they borrowed the animals 
in whose form they were once enchanted for their coats- 
of-arms. That is why the arms of the city of Bernburg 
show a bear with a golden crown; those of Aarburg 
a golden eagle; and those of the Dauphinate a sea fish 
to this very day. The wonderful pearls, however, 


178 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

which are now scattered all over the earth, and are 
supposed to be oriental, originally came from the en¬ 
chanted pond in the magic forest, and were once kept 
in the three linen sacks. 


THE THREE WAVES 


O NCE upon a time there was a little cabin-boy by 
the name of Thomas, who served his uncle 
aboard a fishing bark of Deva. The boy was an or¬ 
phan and his uncle, the captain of the fishing bark, 
had adopted him. Thomas was about sixteen years 
old and his best friend aboard the bark was another lad 
of the same age, named Bilinch. Little Thomas en¬ 
joyed his work aboard ship, and when he was ashore 
he was no less happy; for his aunt by marriage was 
kind to him and so was his cousin Marie, who was as 
gentle and good as an angel. 

But that winter when his uncle took little Thomas 
to sea with him for the first time, he and his crew had 
the worst kind of luck. In vain they cast their nets in 
the best places, the fishes they drew up were either dead 
or so small as to be worthless; while the other fishing 
vessels caught such quantities of fish that they had to 
throw half of them back into the water again. And 
thus it went all season long; though the bark carried 
the best sailors and fishermen of the whole coast, from 
Maihicaco to Cape Figuier, they caught hardly any¬ 
thing at all either with net or line, though they worked 

as hard as ever they could. 

179 


i8o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


One night when the fishing bark was lying at the 
wharf at Maspe, ready to put out to sea, Thomas and 
Bilinch, seeing that they still had several hours to wait, 
lay down on deck to take a nap, and soon fell fast 
asleep. Suddenly Thomas was awakened by his com¬ 
rade, who gave his arm a tug. And when he saw how 
frightened Bilinch looked, he at once asked him what 
was the matter. 

“Did you see them?” said Bilinch, his eyes filled with 
terror. “See who?” asked Thomas. “Them—Marie 
and—the other woman? Thomas, let us run away! 
We must not stay on this bark!” 

“Nonsense,” cried Thomas; “here come the men! 
We will be putting out to sea in a few minutes.” 

But before he could stop him, Bilinch had leaped 
from the deck to the wharf, and started to run toward 
the village. On his way he met the captain and the 
sailors, and when he saw them he flung himself on the 
ground and cried: “No, no, I cannot go with you! 
I will not sail with the bark!” 

A sailor raised him up, took him by the ear, and, 
pushing him ahead of him, thrust him into the bark. 

“What is the trouble?” asked Thomas’ uncle. 

“Young lazybones says he won’t go fishing to-day; 
he’d rather go bird-hunting.” 

“What do you mean, Bilinch?” asked the captain, 
while the poor boy, kneeling at his feet, begged him 
not to make him go along. The sailors, who thought 



THE THREE WAVES 


181 

he was only trying to shirk his work, made fun of him; 
but Thomas, who knew that his friend was troubled, 
spoke to his uncle and said he feared he was not well. 

Then the captain, who was a kind-hearted man, said 
to Bilinch: “Come, my boy, calm yourself and tell 
me why you do not wish to go fishing with us as you 
always do.” 

“O captain, I cannot tell you why; but I swear I 
cannot go along to-day, and you must not make me 
do so.” 

“That’s not sense, my lad,” answered the captain. 
“You have hired out for the season, and there is no 
reason why you should miss a day unless you have a 
good cause.” 

“I have a good reason, master; the best of reasons, 

but—” 

“Well, if you have such a good reason, let me 

hear it.” 

“I have heard that if I go to sea to-day I am certain 
to be drowned.” 

“How would you be drowned?” 

“In a shipwreck.” 

“Then if you drown, our bark will sink with you?” 
“That is what I believe, and that is why you should 
not put out to sea in the bark to-day.” 

“My boy, my boy, this is all folly! Either you are 
making fun of us or there is something important you 
are hiding. If such be the case, you should tell us 


182 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


who told you, and to what danger we are exposed.” 

“But, captain, that is just what I cannot tell you!” 

“Very well, then you must take the same chance that 
we take.” 

“Spare me, captain; do not make me go along!” 

“Silence, you rascal,” said Thomas’ uncle, for he 
was angry; “your life is worth no more than our 
own!” 

Then, taking the tiller in his hand, the captain gave 
the signal to go with a deep voice: “All together, 
lads! Arraun mutillak!” 

At the same moment thirty oars dipped into the 
water and the bark began to move. After she had 
made some headway, Bilinch, who still lay at the cap¬ 
tain’s feet, begged him to stop, saying he would tell all 
he knew. 

So the captain gave the order to ship oars, the 
sailors raised them from the water, and the bark 
stopped softly opposite Urazandi. Then the captain 
seated himself and said to Bilinch, who was weeping 
bitterly: 

“Come, Bilinch, calm yourself and tell us your 
story.” 

“That I will do, master,” said the cabin-boy, “and 
God grant that no evil befall us!” 

“Last night, when Thomas and I put everything to 
rights for to-day, we had finished our work in about 
two hours’ time. So we lay down on the main deck 


THE THREE WAVES 183 

# 

and in a few minutes Thomas was fast asleep. My 
own eyes were just about to close when I was suddenly 
awakened by two ghosts, in the form of two women, 
who seemed to have fallen from the skies. I was so 
terribly frightened by the sight that I was dumb with 
horror, could not move an inch, and hardly dared to 
breathe. That was what saved me, for they leaned 
over us and looked at us carefully. Thinking that I 
was asleep like Thomas, they then danced a fantastic 
dance all around us. And when they had danced 
enough, the older phantom said to the other one: ‘Let 
them sleep, let them sleep! That is what we want. 
They will not wake up now until I give them leave.’ 

“At the same time I felt that the whole ship was 
being raised up into the air and was moving through 
it. And having moved for some time through the air 
we came softly to earth, and grounded under the 
heavily-leaved branches of an immense olive-tree. 
The two women then came over to us and looked at 
us attentively for a few minutes, then leaped from the 
deck and I lost sight of them. 

“In spite of the terrible fear which filled me, I was 
so curious that I could not help opening my eyes to see 
what had become of them. I raised myself on my 
elbow, caught hold of a branch which was in the way, 
and carefully cut it off and hid it beneath a board. 
Then I looked out, and though it was very dark, I saw 
that we were in an immense forest of olive-trees, at one 


184 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


end of which I thought I could dimly make out figures 
dancing a wild dance in a circle. 

“It must be a witches’ dance, I thought to myself, 
and was just about to wake up Thomas, when I heard 
something which sounded like footsteps drawing near. 
Thinking it was the two witches returning, I lay down 
again and did not make a move. Sure enough, I was 
right. After having looked us over again to make sure 
we were still sleeping, they re-entered the bark, which 
once more moved off, and in a few minutes brought 
us back to the spot we had left, that is, the wharf at 
Maspe. 

“After having anchored the bark, the older witch 
said: ‘My daughter, now we can bid them farewell 
for good and all.’ 

“ ‘For good and all? What do you mean?’ 

“ ‘For good and all, I tell you, for you will never 
see this bark or a single member of its crew again. In 
two hours’ time they will all be lying at the bottom of 
the sea.’ 

“ ‘But the sea is as smooth as oil.’ 

“ ‘That makes no difference. As soon as they have 
doubled the Arrangatzi Cape I will make three im¬ 
mense waves rise from the water, the first a wave of 
milk, the second a wave of tears, and the third a wave 
of blood. They may escape the first and second waves; 
but there is nothing in the world that can save them 
from the third.’ 


THE THREE WAVES 


iBs 

“ ‘How you hate them!’ 

“ 'You cannot be a witch without hating. I have 
persecuted them all winter long, driving away the fish 
from their nets, but my power to trouble ends to¬ 
morrow evening, and I would like to settle my score 
with them by burying them all beneath the waves.’ 

“ ‘And you will not spare a single one?’ 

“ ‘Not one, not a single one, for you must not forget 
that you and I are witches, and that we must hate and 
despise all others without exception, especially those 
who love us the best.’ 

“ ‘Then let them meet their fate. But suppose that 
some lucky chance keeps them from putting to sea 
to-day?’ 

“‘Silence, foolish daughter! That is impossible. 
They are bound to set out and perish. There is but 
one way they might escape from the danger which 
threatens them. But they do not know what it is, and 
they shall never know.’ 

“ ‘And what is the one way of escape, mother?’ 

“ ‘To fling a harpoon into the middle of the third 
wave, the wave of blood. For this third wave will be 
myself. I will be hidden beneath its waters, though 
they cannot see me, and a blow which struck this wave 
would pierce my heart.’ 

“ ‘O mother, suppose they came to know it!’ 

“ ‘That can never be, for you only know the secret, 
and I am sure you will not tell them. Thus they will 


186 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


never learn it, and they shall all belong to me. At our 
next witches’ sabbath there will be none who can boast 
a feat equal to mine!’ 

“With these words she turned toward the bark and 
cried: ‘You may now awake!’ Then both of them 
vanished with great bursts of laughter. 

“When I saw they had gone, I woke Thomas and 
was about to tell him what had happened to me when 
the bells began to chime—” 

Bilinch stopped talking and it was easy to imagine 
how all those in the bark felt. Yet some of the sailors 
did not believe a word he said, and others cried that 
the boy had had a nightmare, and made fun of him. 

“Tell me something,” Bilinch then said to them; “is 
there a single one of you who has ever seen olive wood 
within ten miles from Maspe?” 

And when they said they had not, Bilinch felt about 
beneath the boards, and then pulled out an olive branch 
which he shook in the air. “Do you see that? That 
is the branch I cut when I raised my head. I hid it 
here so you would have to believe what I said, and 
admit that the two witches were not a dream. And if 
any of you want to laugh at me, first tell me where I 
could have found a branch like this one in the short 
space of time that Thomas was sleeping? That was 
the only chance I could have had to cut the branch, 
for I was working beside him all the rest of the night!” 


THE THREE WAVES 


187 


No one could deny such proof, for it was a fact that 
no olive wood grew anywhere within ten miles’ dis¬ 
tance. So the fatal branch passed from hand to hand 
in silence, while all murmured with horror: ‘‘Witches, 
witches!” 

After a few moments of confusion, during which 
some wanted to head back for shore, and others wished 
to give Arrangatzi a wide berth, amid a clamor of 
shouts and arguments, the captain rose, seized the helm 
and cried in a loud voice: “Silence!” 

As soon as calm had been restored, he added, turn¬ 
ing to Thomas: “Thomas, take the harpoon! Stand 
at the prow, keep your eyes open, and your arm firm. 
When I give the word, fling the harpoon straight into 
the wave. You others, to the oars! Row, row! Ar- 
raun mutillak!'’ 

Under the power of the oars behind the bark it shot 
rapidly through the waves. The trembling glow of 
dawn floated over the surface of the ocean, which lay 
motionless, unstirred by the least breath of air or the 
slightest movement of the waters. The bark sped on, 
and it did not seem to the sailors as though it were 
moving; instead the trees and bushes along the shore 
seemed to fly by in the strangest manner, taking fan¬ 
tastic shapes in the thick morning mist. When the 
bark doubled the Cross Point and drew near the bar, 
the latter seemed as calm and undisturbed as though 


188 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


the waters were sleeping. In a moment the bark had 
reached the bar, and on no side was there any sign of 
danger, yet all felt ill at ease. 

Suddenly, and without a man on board having been 
able to see whence it had come, no more than two 
fathoms away an enormous wave, as high as a moun¬ 
tain and white as snow, hung over the ship. 

“Geldi! Attention!” cried the captain and looked 
at Thomas, who closed his eyes, for the white water 
dazzled him. 

“It is true,” murmured the captain, whose voice 
trembled a little. “It is the wave of milk!” 

“The wave of milk!” cried all the sailors. 

“Straight ahead!” now shouted the captain. 

The thirty oars struck the water together and the 
bark flung itself upon the white wave. Its prow dis¬ 
appeared in a shower of foam, and then the danger 
was past. Yet before the oars had been dipped for 
the third time, another tremendous wave, even higher 
than the first, rose before them. It was as clear as 
crystal and threw off a vapor which burned the eyes. 

As before, the bark hung suspended over the abyss 
for a moment, and then the wave which it over-rode 
rushed on to break along the sands of Ondarbeltz. 

“The wave of tears!” said Thomas’s uncle, looking 
at him, and added: “Gertu, Tomas! Keep your 
weather-eye open!” Then turning to the crew, he 
added: “All together now, aurrera mutillac!” 


THE THREE WAVES 


189 


The bark shot forward, and the fatal spot had nearly 
been passed, when all on board saw the terrible wave 
of blood, covering the whole horizon, driving down 
upon them in the shape of a hideous crescent, which 
drew them within its two horns as though by some 
magic power. Not a man on board but felt his own 
blood run cold. Little Thomas could hear his heart 
beat as he stood at the prow, the harpoon clenched in 
his hand. 

“Orri gogor! Straight in the middle!” cried his 
uncle, making the sign of the cross. Thomas hesitated, 
but only for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and, 
with a hand that hardly trembled, cast the harpoon 
straight into the middle of the wave of blood. 

At once a terrible wailing sounded over the sea, 
while the wave, cut in two by the bark’s prow, flung 
itself furiously against the coast and covered the whole 
shore with a crimson foam. 

For the rest of the day the crew of the fishing bark 
wore themselves out emptying their nets, which were 
filled with fish wherever they flung them over the side. 
So great was their catch that it made up for all their 
losses during the winter. And Bilinch was praised and 
petted by every one on board. When the bark reached 
the wharf at Maspe, it was crowded by people who had 
come to congratulate the captain on his good fortune, 
for the news of his catch had been brought in by other 
ships which had not been so lucky. 


1 9 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Yet two were missing in the crowd. The captain 
could not make out the figures of his wife and his 
daughter Marie among those who had come down to 
meet the bark. And when he entered his cottage there 
lay his wife on her bed, with her head turned toward 
the wall. When she heard his step she turned, looked 
at him with an expression of the deepest hatred, and 
then passed away. Meanwhile Thomas, also on his 
way home, met his cousin Marie a few steps from the 
door. But her usual kind and angelic expression had 
undergone a frightful change. Her face wore a 
hideous look of hatred. Trembling, the boy cried: 
“What has come over you, Marie?” But she only an¬ 
swered, “Be accursed, murderer!” and then suddenly 
disappeared before his eyes. 

Thomas now began to realize the truth; but even 
yet he would not admit it to himself. Hurrying down 
to the wharf, he found Bilinch. 

“Who were the two witches you saw the other night, 
Bilinch?” he asked. 

But Bilinch only shook his head and said not a word. 

“Who were they?” Thomas repeated, impatiently. 

“Marie and her mother,” whispered Bilinch, sadly. 

Thomas’ poor uncle, deeply grieved by the death 
of his wife and Marie’s strange disappearance, did not 
recover from the shock for a long time. But in the 
end he gave his whole love to his nephew, Thomas, and 
before he died had the satisfaction of knowing that he 


THE THREE WAVES 


191 

was one of the best and luckiest fishing-captains of the 
whole coast. Thomas and Bilinch remained faithful 
friends and companions their life long; but never again 
did they see or hear any witches, so it is quite possible 
that the two of whom this story tells were the very last 
known of in the Basque country. 


THE FLUTEPLAYER OF THE TAIHUA 

MOUNTAINS 


I N the days that have long since passed, there was a 
Prince of Tsin who had an only daughter. When 
she first saw the light, his servants brought the prince 
a curious rock, which, when it was split, disclosed a 
lump of green jade-stone. So on his little daughter’s 
first birthday a table with many gifts, including the 
precious jade-stone, was prepared for the child; but 
the stone was the only thing she would take from the 
table, and the only thing with which she would play. 
And since she would not allow it to leave her hands, 
they named her “Toys-With-Jewels.” Day by day, as 
she grew up, she became lovelier in face and in form 
than any other maiden; and since she played beauti¬ 
fully on the shepherd pipe and understood how to com¬ 
pose melodies without ever having taken a lesson, the 
Prince of Tsin had his most skilled artisans carve a 
shepherd pipe out of the green jade-stone. When the 
princess blew it, it sounded like the singing of the 
phoenix; and her father, who dearly loved the child, 
had a many-storied palace built for her which was 
called the Phcenix Tower. When Toys-With-Jewels 

had grown up, the Prince of Tsin spoke of finding a 

192 


PLAYER OF TAIHUA MOUNTAINS 193 

husband for her. But the maiden said: ‘‘Let it be no 
other man but one who knows how to blow the shep¬ 
herd pipe sweetly, that his playing and mine may sound 
together!” So the prince had his people seek every¬ 
where for a man who could play the shepherd pipe, 
but without success. 

Now, one night when Toys-With-Jewels was in the 
Phoenix Tower, she rolled back the curtains in her 
room, and saw that the heavens were clear and cloud¬ 
less, and the moonlight was radiant as a mirror. She 
ordered her maids to light the incense, took up her 
shepherd pipe of green jade, and, seated at the window, 
commenced to play. The tones of her melody were 
so clear and high that it seemed as though they must 
rise to the very heavens. A faint breeze stirred con¬ 
tinuously, and suddenly she noticed that someone out¬ 
side the Tower was accompanying her melodies. Now 
near, now far the music sounded, much to Toys-With- 
Jewels’ astonishment. When she stopped playing the 
music of her unknown partner stopped as well, only its 
overtones trembled for a moment in soft echoes on the 
air. Then Toys-With-Jewels rose and stood in her win¬ 
dow; and a sadness as though she had lost something 
precious came over her. Thus she stared out of the 
window until midnight, till the moon had gone down, 
and the incense had burned out. Then she laid the 
shepherd pipe on her bed and reluctantly went to 
sleep. 


i 9 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

And while she slept she dreamed that the gate of 
the South-Western Heavens opened wide, and that a 
cloud-radiance of five colors, glowing and shining like 
the day, streamed forth from it. And a handsome 
youth, with a headdress of stork feathers, came riding 
down from the heavens on a phoenix, stood before the 
Phoenix Tower and said to her: “I am the spirit of 
the Taihua Mountains, and your destined husband! 
On the Day of Mid-Autumn we shall meet again!” 
He spoke not another word; but drawing a flute of 
some precious red stone from the girdle about his hips, 
leaned against the balcony and began to play. Then 
the bright-colored phoenix he had been riding beat its 
wings and danced, and the singing of the phoenix and 
the tones of the flute sounded together in harmony 
through all the heights and depths. Sweetly their 
music fell upon the ear of the princess and filled it 
with an entrancing echo, till Toys-With-Jewels’ soul 
was troubled and her thoughts grew confused. “What 
is the name of this melody?” she asked. “It is the 
first part of the Air of the Taihua Mountains,” re¬ 
plied the handsome youth. “Is it possible to learn it?” 
asked Toys-With-Jewels. “Are you not already my 
promised wife? Why should I not be able to teach it 
to you?” said the youth and he went toward her and 
took her hand. This so terrified the maiden that she 
awoke, her eyes still filled with her dream. 

When day had dawned, she told her dream to the 


PLAYER OF TAIHUA MOUNTAINS 195 


Prince, her father. He repeated it to his minister 
Meng Ming, and at once sent him out to the Taihua 
Mountains to investigate the matter. In the moun¬ 
tains Meng Ming found a village elder who said: 
“About the middle of July a strange being appeared in 
this neighborhood. He has woven a hut of reeds for 
himself on the sparkling hill of stars, and lives there 
quite alone. Every day he descends in order to buy the 
juice of the grape, which he drinks in solitude. He 
plays his flute without interruption until evening, and 
its tones may be heard throughout the countryside. 
Whoever hears them forgets all weariness. Whence 
the stranger comes none of us know.” 

Then Meng Ming began to climb the mountain, and 
when he had reached the sparkling hill of stars, he saw 
a man who wore a headdress of stork’s feathers. His 
face seemed to be carved from a precious stone, his lips 
were red and the expression of his countenance was so 
free and so divinely happy that he seemed to be liv¬ 
ing in a world unknown to man. Meng Ming at once 
suspected that this was not an ordinary human being. 
He bowed and asked his name. “My father’s name 
is Schao,” replied the youth, “and my given name is 
Sche. But who are you, and why do you come here?” 
“I am the minister of this land,” replied Meng Ming. 
“My lord and master is about to seek a husband for his 
daughter. Since she blows the shepherd pipe with 
great art, he will take none other for his son-in-law 




196 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

but one who is able to play together with her. Now 
the prince has heard that you are well versed in music, 
and he thirsts to look upon you. And so he has sent 
me to bring you to him.” Said the youth, “I know but 
little of the various keys, and aside from this negligible 
flute-playing I am no artist. I dare not follow your 
command.” “Let us seek my master together,” replied 
Meng Ming, “and then all will be made clear.” 

So Meng Ming took the youth back with him in his 
carriage, first made his report and then brought Schao 
Sche to the prince that he might pay homage to him. 
The prince sat in the Phoenix Tower, and Schao Sche 
flung himself at his feet and said: “I am a dweller in 
the open and on the hills, and an altogether ignorant 
man. I know nothing of court ceremonies, and beg 
that you will treat me mercifully and forgive me!” 
The Prince of Tsin studied Schao Sche, and noticing 
the free and happy expression of his countenance, took 
great pleasure in his arrival. He made him sit down 
beside him and asked: “I hear that you know how to 
play the flute admirably. Can you also blow the shep¬ 
herd pipe?” “I can only play the flute, but not the 
shepherd pipe,” replied Schao Sche. “I had been 
looking for a man who could play the shepherd pipe, 
but the flute is not the same thing,” said the prince. 
Turning to Meng Ming he added sadly, “He is no 
partner for my daughter,” and commanded that he be 
led away. But at that moment Toys-With-Jewels sent 



“When he played the third, white storks could 
be seen dancing opposite each other in the skies ” 

Tage 197 













































































PLAYER OF TAIHUA MOUNTAINS 197 

a serving maid to the prince with the message: “Flute 
and shepherd pipe both obey the same law of music. 
If your guest can play the flute so admirably, why not 
let him show his art?” So the Prince of Tsin ordered 
Schao Sche to play, and the latter took up his flute, 
made of a crimson precious stone, a radiant jewel, whose 
crimson gleam was mirrored in the eyes of those pres¬ 
ent. It was truly a rare treasure. Schao Sche played 
the first movement of his air, and slowly a clear wind 
arose. With the second movement colored clouds 
came flying from all four points of the heavens; and 
when he played the third, white storks could be seen 
dancing opposite each other in the skies, peacocks sat 
in pairs in the trees, and hundreds of birds of various 
kinds accompanied his music with the harmony of 
their song, until, after a time, they dispersed. 

The Prince of Tsin was delighted. In the meantime 
Toys-With-Jewels had witnessed the whole miracle 
from behind a curtain and said: “In truth, this is the 
very man who should play with me!” And the prince 
asked Schao Sche: “What is the difference between 
the shepherd pipe and flute?” “In the beginning,” re¬ 
plied Schao Sche, “the shepherd pipe was invented. 
But then men found that greater simplicity was pos¬ 
sible, and out of the pipe of four reeds they made the 
pipe of one reed, the flute.” “And how is it,” again 
asked the Prince of Tsin, “that you are able to lure the 
birds to your side with your playing?” “The tones of 


198 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

the flute resemble the song of the phGenix,” returned 
Schao Sche, “and the phoenix is the king of all the 
hundreds of kinds of birds. Hence they all believe 
that the phoenix is singing and hasten up. Once, when 
the Emperor Sun discovered the beautiful tones of the 
Schao Sche mode, the phoenix itself appeared. So if it 
is possible to lure the phoenix by means of music, why 
not the other birds?” The Prince of Tsin, noticing 
that the speaker’s voice was full and sonorous, grew 
more and more content and said: “I have a favorite 
daughter whose natne is Toys-With-Jewels. She has 
so great an understanding of music that I would not 
willingly give her to a tone-deaf man. Hence she shall 
be your wife.” 

Schao Sche’s face grew sober, he bowed a number 
of times and said: “I am a peasant from the moun¬ 
tains. How might I venture to marry a princess?” 
“When my daughter was but a child,” answered the 
prince, “she swore that only a player of the shepherd 
pipe should be her husband. Your flute, however, 
penetrates heaven and earth and conquers every living 
creature. It is sweeter than the shepherd pipe. Then, 
too, my daughter once dreamed a dream. This day is 
the Day of Mid-Autumn, and the will of heaven is 
plain. Do not disobey it!” Then Schao Sche cast 
himself on the ground and spoke his thanks. 

Now the prince wished his soothsayers to select an 
auspicious day for the nuptials. But the soothsayers 




PLAYER OF TAIHUA MOUNTAINS 199 


said: “This is the Mid-Autumn Day, no time is more 
propitious. The moon shines full in the heavens, and 
all men on earth breathe joyfully!” So the prince at 
once had a bath prepared, and had Schao Sche led to 
it, that he might cleanse himself. And when he had 
changed his simple garments for rich, silken robes, he 
was taken to the Phoenix Castle, where he was married 
to Toys-With-Jewels. The following day the Prince 
appointed Schao Sche a mandarin; but he paid no at¬ 
tention to his duties, in spite of his official rank, and 
spent all his time in the Phoenix Tower. He ate no 
cooked food and only, from time to time, drank a few 
goblets of the juice of the grape. From him Toys- 
With-Jewels learned the true secret of breathing, so 
that in the end she too was able to live without food. 
In addition he taught her a melody by means of which 
one might lure the phoenix. 

Half a year had gone by when, one night, the pair 
were playing together in the moonlight. Suddenly 
there appeared a violet-colored phoenix, which sta¬ 
tioned itself at the left of the Phoenix Tower, and a 
crimson dragon, which uncoiled itself at its right. 
Then Schao Sche said: “In the upper world I was a 
spirit. Then the Ruler of the Heavens sent me down, 
when the books of history had been disordered, so that 
I might order them. Thus, in the seventeenth year of 
the reign of the Emperor Djou Schuan-Wang on earth, 
I was born as a son in the family of Schao. Up to the 


200 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


death of Schuan-Wang, those who wrote the histories 
of the land were incapable. But I arranged the books 
of history from the beginning of time to the present 
day, so that they might be continued. And because 
of my labors with the history books the people called 
me Schao Sche. But all this happened more than a 
hundred years ago. The Ruler of the Heavens then 
ordered me to rule on the Hua Hills as a mountain 
spirit. Yet, since this marriage with you was already 
predestined, he brought us together by means of the 
tones of the flute. Now, however, we need no longer 
remain on earth, for dragon and phoenix have come to 
bear us away. We must depart!” 

Toys-With-Jewels wished to bid her father fare¬ 
well; but Schao Sche said: “No, those who wish to 
become spirits must turn away their thoughts from all 
earthly things. How could you then still cling to a 
relative?” So Schao Sche mounted the crimson drag¬ 
on and Toys-With-Jewels the violet phoenix, and they 
rode away together from the Phoenix Tower through 
the clouds. And that same night the phoenix was 
heard singing in the mountains of Taihua. 

When the maid of the princess reported what had 
happened to the Prince of Tsin the following morning, 
he at first lost all power of speech. And then he 
wailed: “So it is true that spirits and genies really 
appear? If a dragon or phoenix were to come this mo¬ 
ment to carry me off, I would leave my land with as 


PLAYER OF TAIHUA MOUNTAINS 201 


little regret as I would fling away an old shoe!” He 
sent out many men to the Taihua Mountains to look 
for the two musicians, but they had disappeared for 
good and all, and were never seen or heard of again. 


FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


O NCE upon a time, hundreds of years ago, the 
Moors ruled the beautiful land of Valencia, and 
proudest among the proud sultans who reigned over the 
city of that name was Muhamed ben Abderrahman ben 
Tahir the Great, who was famed for his wealth and 
power. 

Now the Sultan Muhamed ben Abderrahman had 
an only daughter, the fame of whose beauty had trav¬ 
elled to the farthest boundaries of the Moslem lands. 
So fond was this lovely girl of the flowering meadows 
and the fragrant green woods, that the poets of her 
day never spoke of her by her real name; but called 
her the Flower of the Gardens. And by the name of 
Flower of the Gardens she was known to all Valencia. 

Her father, the Sultan Muhamed, loved her so 
greatly that he would have given her the very eyes out 
of his head had she wanted them. To please her he 
built wonderful palaces of marble and jasper, glowing 
with gold and silver and precious stones, and called in 
the most skillful gardeners of his kingdom to plan 
pleasure-gardens with flowers, fragrant shrubs and run¬ 
ning waters for her delight. There was nothing he 

could refuse his beloved Flower of the Gardens. 

202 


FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


203 


Yet none of her other palaces pleased the sultan’s 
daughter as much as the high marble tower built es¬ 
pecially for her within the very walls of the alcazaba 
or fortress of the city. From this tower she could 
look out over the wide Valencian plain and at its foot 
the waters of the torrent sang—just as they sing to this 
day—their never-ending song. And from her marble 
tower Flower of the Gardens took delight in coming 
down in the mornings with a gilded vessel made of the 
sweet-smelling clay known as bucaro, to drink at the 
running spring. At other times she would walk along 
the narrow road which bordered the precipice between 
the two mountains, on one of which the alcazaba was 
built, and pass hours and hours looking at the strange 
stairway cut into the living rock, which the people 
called “The Fairies’ Stairway.” Then her childish 
thoughts would turn to all sorts of tales of magic and 
enchantment. 

As she grew older the Sultan Abderrahman Ben 
Tahir made up his mind that the wisdom of Flower 
of the Gardens should equal her beauty, seeing that she 
was naturally gifted far beyond all the maidens of the 
Orient. 

And at once envoys and emissaries set out from Val¬ 
encia to travel all over the world, in search of the 
wisest among all the wise men on earth. And at the 
end of a long time, after having passed through many 
countries and gone to the very limits of the East, the 


204 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

sultan’s envoys returned bringing with them a venerable 
old man with a long white beard, who was said to be 
the wisest of all wise men. This ancient man was 
the teacher of the princess, and from him the lovely 
Flower of the Gardens learned the arts and sciences, 
history and poetry, the language of the flowers and of 
the stars, and even those secret and occult magic arts 
which are hidden from ordinary mortals. For the 
white-bearded old wise man who taught the princess 
was neither more nor less than a magician, for whom 
few things were impossible. 

Some years went by, and at the end of that time 
Flower of the Gardens had become as celebrated for 
her wisdom as for her beauty, and the fame of her love¬ 
liness and learning had spread to the most distant coun¬ 
tries. Many of the greatest lords of the other Moor¬ 
ish kingdoms rode miles to see her, and beg her advice 
in matters of state, and at the foot of her marble tower 
in the alcazaba one could see hundreds of richly trapped 
horses, whose masters, Moors and Christians alike, 
were paying court to the beautiful daughter of the 
Sultan Muhamed. 

Yet she treated all men with the same scorn. For 
the truth is that the lovely Moorish princess, though 
she grew wiser and wiser each day, also became more 
silent and melancholy; until she fled the company of 
all human beings, even that of her father, who loved 


FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


205 


I 

her so tenderly. At the same time her venerable 
teacher grew more and more ill-humored, irritable and 
grouchy. 

The Sultan Muhamed, who grieved to see his daugh¬ 
ter so sad, tried to cheer her up by taking her in a 
splendid litter, with great pomp and ceremony, to visit 
the gay cities of Andalucia, and there were jousts and 
knightly games in her honor at the brilliant courts of 
Cordova and Granada. When they returned he made 
her new gifts of black and white slaves, jewels, stuffs 
and other riches, and had newer and handsomer pal¬ 
aces and gardens built for her. But he could not win a 
single smile from his lovely daughter. All she wished, 
so she said, was to be allowed to sit at the foot of her 
marble tower in the alcazaba, and look at the mysteri¬ 
ous Stairway of the Fairies, whose steps were cut in the 
living rock. 

It was then that the Sultan Muhamed began to sus¬ 
pect that the old magician was to blame for his daugh¬ 
ter’s melancholy. He had him brought into his pres¬ 
ence, and told him he would hang him from the alcaz- 
aba battlements if he did not immediately reveal the 
cause of the princess’ grief, and find a remedy for it. 

The magician made so low a bow that his white 
beard swept the floor and replied: 

“Powerful sultan! Your daughter’s sadness is in¬ 
curable. You told me to teach her all that I myself 
knew, and I have done as you wished. Yet, while her 


206 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


brain and mind have grown and developed, her heart 
has dried up. So far as learning goes, she knows more 
than the wisest wise men and the greatest kings. 
But there is no love in her heart, and for this reason— 
because her heart is empty of love—her knowledge is 
useless. She lives only in her knowledge, and since 
she has learned all there is to know, she now feels a 
great emptiness, and wishes to know what none can 
teach her. She wishes to become a fairy. But I am 
no djinn, and I cannot turn her into a fairy. And so, 
my lord sultan—whom Allah protect!—your daughter 
grows more sad and melancholy day by day, and I am 
unable to cure her.” 

At once the sultan flew into a rage. 

“Wretched impostor!” he shouted, “I had you 
brought from a far land so that you would help make 
my daughter happy. I wished you to teach her your 
science as the one thing she needed to be perfect. In¬ 
stead you have broken her heart by making her wish 
for the impossible. And now, tell me something. 
You, too, wander unhappily about the gardens of the 
palace. Why are you dissatisfied?” 

“My body, O sultan,” replied the aged man, “is old 
and weary! I know that I have not very long to live, 
and before I die I should like to see the skies of my 
native land once more.” 

“Ah, and you want to leave Valencia? You wish 
me to set you free?” asked the sultan. 


FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


207 


“Liberty,” said the venerable wise man in a solemn 
tone of voice, “is the greatest happiness we know on 
earth.” 

“Be it as you wish. So far as I am concerned, I do 
not need you. If my daughter Flower of the Gardens 
gives you leave, then you are free.” 

But when the Moorish princess learned that her 
teacher had asked for his liberty, she hurried to her 
father and complained bitterly of him. 

“Dearest lord and father, whom Allah have in his 
keeping!” she cried. “Do not allow this man to leave 
me. He only holds in his hands the cure for the sad¬ 
ness which consumes me. It is in order to avoid doing 
his duty that he begs to be set free. He possesses the 
secret of the fairies and will not tell me it. He could 
make me the happiest of all daughters of Islam, and 
yet, jealous of his knowledge, he wants to go away with¬ 
out curing my grief. Dear lord and father,” she went 
on, “he knows the magic words which open the palace 
of the fairies which has been cut in the living rock of 
the mountain. The fortunate mortal who can make his 
way into that enchanted palace will become the richest 
and most powerful on earth. Why should he hide the 
magic words from me?” 

The old magician raised his head, which had hung 
down on his breast while the princess was speaking. 

“Those magic words, lord sultan, may lead to your 
eternal unhappiness!” 


208 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


“There are steps cut in the rock which lead to the 
very portal of the fairy palace,” continued the princess. 
“It is the Fairies’ Stairway, lord father! 1 ’ 

‘‘These steps were not cut for mortal feet to tread,” 
said the old man. 

But his daughter’s words had excited the sultan’s 
curiosity and greed. He threatened the old man from 
the Orient with life-imprisonment in a gloomy dungeon 
if he would not consent to reveal the magic words. 
And finally, the magician agreed to do so, not without 
warning them to obey all his orders, for if they delayed 
a single second in obeying them, they would be buried 
in the mysterious depths of the mountain, neither dead 
nor alive, to suffer for all eternity. The Sultan Mu- 
hamed and his daughter Flower of the Gardens prom¬ 
ised the magician to obey him in all things, so it was 
settled that the following night, when the cock crowed 
twelve, they would meet him at the foot of the marble 
tower. 

* * * 

And as they had said they would do so they did. 
Before the cock gave the signal that the midnight hour 
had arrived, the three—the sultan, the magician and 
the princess—were standing at the foot of the Fairies’ 
Stairway. The old sage kept his eyes fixed on the 
stars, waiting for them to take a favorable position in 
the heavens. When that moment came, he lit a torch, 
which he had carried beneath his robe, drew out a very 



FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


209 


ancient book whose yellowed pages were covered with 
fantastic letters and began to read slowly, in a medium 
tone of voice. 

When he had finished the first page, a terrible rum¬ 
bling, as though the mountain were opening, was heard. 
The Sultan Muhamed and his daughter, the princess, 
clung to each other; but without losing sight of the 
Fairies’ Stairway. The magician, as though he had 
ears for nothing happening around him, continued to 
read without stopping. When he reached the end of 
the second page, another, even more terrible rumbling 
was heard, and the Flower of the Gardens and her 
father saw the outline of a great arched door, which 
seemed about to open, stand out against the rock. And 
when the old sage had turned the third page of the 
book, no rumbling was heard, as before; but the grind¬ 
ing of a heavy door whose bolts were being drawn. A 
deep crevice showed in the rock, and slowly grew in 
size as the magician pronounced the mysterious words 
of his ancient book. 

As soon as the opening in the rock seemed large 
enough to let a man enter, the Sultan Muhamed flung 
himself forward to pass through the door into the dark 
interior; but his daughter, catching him by the arm, 
held him back: it was necessary to follow the magi¬ 
cian’s orders one by one. The latter continued read¬ 
ing until the portal had opened wide. Then he drew 
from his girdle a pipe with a golden mouthpiece, gave 


2io FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


a shrill whistle, and instantly Flower of the Gardens 
and the sultan her father found themselves in the 
Fairies’ Palace. 

As soon as they crossed the threshold, they thought 
they would swoon with delight. The light which 
flooded it with the clearest radiance was as bright as 
though thousands and thousands of lamps hung from 
the roof. Columns of rubies and emeralds supported 
arches of clouds which waved slightly in the air. The 
floor of the palace was formed of precious stones, and 
its walls of mother-of-pearl with reliefs in gold, and 
from them echoed a music as sweet as angel song. 

It would be impossible to tell in mere words all the 
wonders which the Sultan Muhamed and his daughter 
Flower of the Gardens saw and admired in the Fairies’ 
Palace. The delight which filled their hearts was 
such that it could not be spoken and thus, in the great¬ 
est joy and happiness an hour went by so swiftly that it 
seemed no longer than a minute. As soon as the hour 
was up, the old magician who had remained outside 
blew his golden whistle, and the sultan and his daughter 
found themselves swiftly carried out of the bowels of 
the mountain, the great door clanging behind them 
with a terrible crash. 

Needless to say Flower of the Gardens was now al¬ 
most beside herself with joy. She kissed her father a 
thousand times, hugged the old magician, and repeated 
over and over again that she was the happiest girl on 


FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


21 I 


earth. Her old teacher, on the other hand, seemed 
gloomier than ever. 

“Powerful sultan,” he said, turning to Muhamed, 
“I have kept the promise I gave you. Do you now 
keep the one you gave me, and allow me to depart to 
die beneath the sky of my beloved native land.” 

“That is for Flower of the Gardens to decide,” an¬ 
swered the sultan. 

And Flower of the Gardens granted her old teacher 
his liberty on the condition that he make her a present 
of the ancient book and the golden whistle which had 
the power of opening the Fairies’ Palace. 

“They are yours, Flower of the Gardens,” said her 
teacher. “Keep them as a remembrance of the poor 
old man who brought the light of knowledge to your 
darkened mind. But use them carefully and in moder¬ 
ation. Do not abuse your measureless power, and do 
not forget never to remain in the magic palace a min¬ 
ute over the hour.” 

Thus spoke the old magician with the long white 
beard, and after the Sultan Muhamed ben Abderrah- 
man ben Tahir had loaded him with rich gifts, he took 
his way to those far countries where the stars are born 
at dawn. 

*r * * * * 

That night Flower of the Gardens could not close 
her eyes, for her mind was filled with the marvels she 
had seen in the Fairies’ Palace. No sooner had day 


2 i2 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


dawned than she took her gilded bucaro, the mysteri¬ 
ous book with the yellowed pages, and the golden 
whistle and, accompanied by a slave girl, went to the 
precipice, at the foot of the steps cut in the living rock. 

There she passed the whole day without eating or 
drinking, reading the book which was thousands of 
years old, and deciphering its curious signs one by one. 
A hundred times she climbed the steps, then turned 
and went down them again, beating the hard rock 
with her rosy little fists as she vainly tried to discover 
the spot where the night before, the arched doorway 
had opened. 

At last night came and when, finally, the stars in 
their courses reached the place the ancient magician 
had pointed out to her, the Moorish princess opened 
her book and commenced to read the magic words. 
And again the mountain began to open, as it had done 
the preceding night, with such terrible rumblings and 
crashes that the hair of the frightened slave girl stood 
on end with horror. When at last the way was clear 
for her to enter, Flower of the Gardens thrust the 
bucaro, the book and the golden whistle into the slave 
girFs hands, and with a cry of joy, darted into the 
interior of the mountain. 

Yet this time she did not return. Lost in admira¬ 
tion of its many enchanting wonders, the magic hour 
went by without her taking note of the passage of time. 
Suddenly the granite portals closed with a terrible 


FLOWER OF THE GARDENS 


213 


crash, and Flower of the Gardens was imprisoned in 
that palace without an outlet, world without end. 

On the following morning, when the people in the 
alcazaba heard the wails of the slave girl, they hurried 
to tell the sultan what had happened. Then Muhamed 
Abderrahman ben Tahir, the most powerful sultan of 
all the Moorish lands, came forth sadly to search for 
his daughter, wringing his hands and tearing his hair. 
He went over every foot of the granite mountain, and 
it seemed to him that he could hear, coming from 
within the living rock, the sighs of his beloved daugh¬ 
ter, Flower of the Gardens. 

So the sultan called together great armies of men— 
the strongest and bravest in every land—with picks and 
shovels, to level the mountain to the ground. Yet all 
their labor was in vain. The hard granite resisted 
every effort they made, and after they had toiled for 
seven years it hardly showed the mark of their picks. 
Another seven years went by, and another and another, 
and then the Sultan Muhamed Abderrahman ben 
Tahir, the most powerful of all the Moorish kings, died 
of a broken heart at the foot of that mysterious moun¬ 
tain, in the centre of which still sighed his daughter 
Flower of the Gardens, the loveliest and wisest of all 
the maidens of Islam. 

To this very day you may see the Fairies’ Stairway, 
not far from the city of Valencia, along the road known 


214 


FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


as the Bosquet. But people no longer call it by that 
name. For it is said that the sighs and laments of 
Flower of the Gardens may still be heard at night, at 
the time when the stars are at their height. And some 
even claim that once in every hundred years the Moor¬ 
ish princess may be seen seated at the foot of the Stair¬ 
way, waiting for some mortal as wise as her former 
teacher, the old magician with the long white beard, 
to pass that way and release her from her enchantment. 

It is for this reason that these strange steps cut in 
the Bosquet Mountain are now known as “The Maid¬ 
en’s Stairway.” 



PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


t 


O NCE upon a time there was a king and a queen 
who had no children, though they had been mar¬ 
ried for a number of years, and this was a cause of 
much sorrow to them. 

Now the kingdom over which this king reigned was 
very, very large and the king did not always know 
what was going on in the distant provinces. One day, 
it occurred to him that perhaps the people in some of 
the far-off parts of the kingdom might have reason to 
complain of their governors, so he decided to travel to 
them and see for himself how matters stood. He knew 
his journey would take from eight to nine months, and 
gave orders that during that time no news should be 
sent him from the capital, because he did not want 
anyone to know just where he was. If he could sur¬ 
prise the governors of his provinces when he arrived in 
them, he would have a better chance of finding out 
whether or no they were honestly doing their duty. 

The king set out on his journey exactly as he had 
planned, travelled in all the far places of his realm, 
looked into everything, correcting abuses, righting 

wrongs and seeing that justice was done to all. Then, 

215 


216 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

at the end of the ninth month, he took the road for 
home again. 

He was not so very far from his capital when, pass¬ 
ing through a stretch of desert land—it was in the 
middle of summer—he was seized with a raging thirst. 
At once he sent out his servants on all sides to see 
whether they could discover water, but they searched 
more than an hour in every direction and returned 
without having found a trace of it. Then the king 
himself set out to search the country, hoping that sooner 
or later he would find a spring. 

Suddenly, in that bone-dry plain, where there had 
been no water as long as man could remember, a well 
caught his eye. The well-brink was quite moist; the 
well itself full of clear water, and on the surface of the 
water floated a cup of silver with a golden handle. 

The king at once leaped down from his horse, laid 
his left hand on the brink of the well, and tried to 
seize the cup with his right. But it almost seemed as 
though the cup were alive. It quickly moved away 
from his hand, and then once more floated quietly on 
the water. Though a little frightened, the king again 
tried to catch it, sometimes with one hand, sometimes 
with the other; but in spite of all his efforts it con¬ 
tinued to get away from him. Then he tried both 
hands, but the cup, diving like a fish, came up again a 
little ways off. 

“There is a cup,” thought the king, “that will not be 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


217 


of much use to me. Very well, I will do without it!” 

And he leaned far over the brink of the well, and 
drank of the water and found it pure as crystal, and as 
cold as ice. While the king drank, his long beard 
sank into the water. 

When he had satisfied his thirst he wished to rise 
* 

again but something, he did not know what, was hold¬ 
ing him by the beard. After having tried in vain to 
release himself, the king cried in a rage: 

“Who are you? Let me go!” 

“You ask who I am?” answered a voice from out of 
the well. “I am Kostschei, the king of the regions be¬ 
neath the earth. I will not let you go until you prom¬ 
ise to give me what you have at home, without knowing 
w T hat you have there, and what you will find at home 
when you return, without having hoped to find it.” 

The king looked down the well. There he saw a 
monstrous head with great green eyes and a mouth 
split to the ears. Kostschei held the king’s beard with 
the enormous crab’s claws that served him for hands, 
and laughed an evil laugh. 

“Anything I have and do not know about and any¬ 
thing I find on my return home without having hoped 
to find it, cannot amount to much,” thought the king. 

So he said in a loud tone of voice: “I agree to do 
what you ask.” 

The monster burst out laughing, gleamed for a mo¬ 
ment like living flame, and then disappeared. And 


218 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


with him disappeared the well, the water and the silver 
cup with the golden handle. The king found himself 
lying on the sun-baked soil. He rose, mounted his 
horse, rejoined his escort and continued on his way. 

In the course of a few days he reached his capital, 
where the people crowded around to greet him, and he 
entered the courtyard of his palace in triumph. And 
there, on the terrace, stood the queen waiting for him, 
and in her arms she held a sleeping baby boy. 

Then the king realized that heaven must have sent 
him the child only a short time before he reached 
home. 

“So this,” thought he, “was what I did not know I 
had, and did not hope to find when I returned home!” 
And he began to weep bitterly. Everyone was sur¬ 
prised to see his tears, but no one dared ask what caused 
them. He took the child into his arms and looked 
on its innocent little face with deep affection. Then 
he himself carried the boy back into the palace, and 
put him in his cradle. After that the king vainly tried 
to hide his anxiety. He worked at ruling his kingdom 
as he never had done before, but no matter what he did 
a dark thought never left him: it was the thought that 
some day Kostschei would demand his son from him. 

Yet the weeks, months and years passed, and no one 
came to claim the child. Prince Unhoped-For, for 
that was the name which had been given him, grew up 
and became a handsome 3/oung man. Little by little 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


219 


the king regained his former happy disposition, and 
there were moments when he entirely forgot his ad¬ 
venture by the well. But there was one who had not 
forgotten it. 

One day the young prince, hunting in the forest, be¬ 
came separated from his suite and strayed into a dense 
thicket. Suddenly a monstrous old man, with great 
green eyes appeared before him. 

“Prince Unhoped-For,” he said, “you have kept me 
waiting for you a long time.” 

“And who are you?” answered the young man. 

“That you shall soon know. When you have re¬ 
turned to your father, greet him from me, and tell him 
that I would like to have him settle his account with 
me. If he does not do so, he will live to regret it!” 

With these words the monster disappeared. The 
prince turned his horse, rode back to the palace and 
told the king what had happened to him. 

The king grew pale and revealed his terrible secret 
to his son. 

“Do not despair, father,” replied the young man. 
“The harm can be undone. I will find a way to make 
Kostschei give up his claim, which is based on a de¬ 
ceitful trick. I will go to him at once, and we shall 
see if he will dispose of me as he sees fit. And now 
I shall say farewell, because I am not sure that I shall 
return.” 

So the prince tenderly embraced his father and 


220 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


mother, and told the latter why he was leaving her. 
His father gave him a suit of steel armor, a sabre and 
a horse, while his mother hung a golden cross around 
his neck. And when they had embraced him for a 
last time, with many tears, the young man set out on 
his journey, pushing on without any special place in 
view, for he felt sure that Kostschei would appear to 
him, sooner or later. 

When the sun was going down he reached the sea¬ 
shore, and there, on the sands, he saw twelve garments 
such as young girls wear, as white as snow. Yet as far 
as the eye could reach in every direction there was not 
a sign of a soul in the water. Suspecting some mystery, 
and eager to clear it up, the prince seized one of the 
garments, left his horse to graze at will in the nearby 
meadows, and hid himself among the bushes. 

No sooner had he hidden himself than a flock of 
white ducks which had been swimming about on the 
waves walked out on the sand. Eleven of them slipped 
into the garments, struck the sand with their webbed 
feet, and turning into beautiful young girls, at once 
disappeared. The twelfth—she was the youngest— 
could not make up her mind to come out of the water. 
She stretched out her white neck and looked around on 
every side. Suddenly she saw the king’s son hiding in 
the bushes and called out to him in a human voice: 

“Prince Unhoped-For, give me back my robe! I 
will show myself grateful if you do.” 



PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


221 


So the prince laid down her white robe on the sand, 
and withdrew in order not to molest the little white 
duck who was going to turn into a young girl. 

As soon as she had entered her robe and regained 
her human shape, the girl came to him. She was 
marvelously beautiful. Holding out her hand to the 
young man she said in a melodious voice: 

“I thank you, noble prince, for having granted my 
prayer. I am the youngest of the twelve daughters of 
Kostschei, who reigns over the kingdom beneath the 
earth. My father has been expecting you for a long 
time and is very angry with you. As soon as you meet 
Kostschei, fall on your knees and then, without paying 
any attention to his cries, his roars or his threats, walk 
bravely up to him. What will then happen is some¬ 
thing you will know more about later. And now let 
us go.” 

She stamped on the ground with her little foot, the 
earth opened and both of them descended into the 
kingdom beneath the earth. 

Soon they arrived at Kostschei’s dwelling, a radiant 
palace which lighted up the kingdom beneath as the 
sun lights our own world. The prince boldly entered 
it and found himself in a great hall. 

Kostschei, wearing a rich crown on his head, was 
seated on a throne of gold. His eyes shone like two 
great emeralds, and his arms ended in two enormous 
crab’s claws. As soon as he saw him, Prince Unhoped- 


222 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


For knelt respectfully. In vain Kostschei uttered the 
most terrible cries, which made the roof of the palace 
tremble; the prince, moving along on his knees, kept 
right on advancing toward his throne. And, when he 
was no more than two or three feet away, Kostschei 
burst out into shouts of laughter. 

“You are lucky,” said he, “to have made me laugh! 
I will allow you to live in my kingdom. However, 
first you must carry out three commands which I will 
give you. We will speak of them to-morrow, but now, 
since it is late, we will go to bed.” So the prince was 
led off to a chamber which seemed to have been made 
ready for him, and there he slept very well. 

The next morning Kostschei sent for him. 

“Let us see what you can do,” said he. “To-morrow 
night you must build me a marble palace, with crystal 
windows and a golden roof. The palace must be sur¬ 
rounded by splendid gardens and in the gardens there 
must be fountains and lakes. If you carry out my 
orders properly you shall be my friend, if not—off goes 
your head!” 

After he had listened to this strange speech the prince 
returned to his room and began to think of the death 
awaiting him. Suddenly, as he sat there, lost in gloomy 
thoughts, a bee tapped at the window-pane and said: 

“Let me in!” ,Jj 

He opened the window, the bee flew in and in an- 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


223 

other moment Prince Unhoped-For saw Kostschei’s 
daughter standing before him. 

“A penny for your thoughts, Prince Unhoped-For!” 
she cried. 

“I was thinking of your father, who has planned my 
death,” he answered. “Have no fears, sleep in peace, 
and to-morrow morning, when you awake, you will 
find that your palace has been built.” Then the young 
girl once more turned into a bee and flew out of the 
window. 

And as she had said so it was. At dawn the follow¬ 
ing day, when he went down into the garden, the prince 
saw, a little distance away, a marble palace the like 
of which he had never before seen, with crystal win¬ 
dows and a golden roof. Kostschei, for his part, could 
not believe his eyes when he saw it. “Very well,” said 
he, “this time you have succeeded. But to-morrow I 
shall send for my twelve daughters, and if you can¬ 
not tell me which is the youngest then off goes your 
head.” 

The prince went back to his room, but felt far more 
comfortable than he had the day before. 

“What?” said he to himself, “he thinks I would not 
recognize the youngest of the twelve maidens? Is she 
not the same whose grace has already charmed me, and 
whose kindness has already aided me? Not know her? 
To point her out among the others will not be hard.” 


224 FAIRY tales from far away 

“You will find it so hard,” said the bee, entering 
through the open window, “that without my help you 
would never be able to do so. We twelve sisters look 
so like each other that our own father cannot tell us 
apart save by certain details of dress.” 

“Then what shall I do?” asked the prince. 

“Listen! You can tell the youngest, and that will be 
myself, by a lady-bug resting on her left eye-brow. 
So be sure you look for it.” And this time, without 
stopping to change to her human form, the bee flew 
right out of the window again. 

The following day Kostschei once more sent for the 
prince. Flis twelve daughters were already standing 
in line in the hall of the palace, all dressed exactly 
alike in every respect. Kostschei did not know that 
one of them was interested in the prince, but he was 
suspicious by nature. So he made them all take off the 
ribbons and jewels by means of which he usually told 
them apart, and before he had done so he had taken 
care to notice where the youngest stood. 

The prince looked at them and was surprised to see 
how perfectly each resembled the other. Twice he 
walked past them without seeing the sign he had been 
told to look for. At last, the third time, he saw the 
lady-bug. 

“This is your youngest daughter,” he said. 

Kostschei was furious. “How in the name of all the 
fiends did you guess it?” he cried. “There is some 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


225 

magic about this! And since that is the case I will 
expose you to a test of another kind. 

“Clear out, the rest of you!” he shouted at his daugh¬ 
ters, “I do not want you around spying on me!” Then, 
when the young girls had gone, he said to Prince Un¬ 
hoped-For: 

“You shall return in three hours and show how 
clever you are in my presence. I will light a straw and 
before it has burned down, you will have to make a 
pair of boots for me. And if you cannot do so you 
die!” 

Greatly cast down Prince Unhoped-For returned to 
his room, and tfyere he found Kostschei’s kind daughter 
waiting for him in her lovely human shape. 

“Why do you look so serious, my fair prince?” said 

she. 

“Why should I not look serious when your father 
wants me to make him a pair of boots in the twinkling 
of an eye? Am I a shoe-maker? Even if I were I 
could not make a pair of boots in a couple of seconds.” 

“What do you mean to do?” asked the young girl. 

“Certainly not to make boots,” answered the prince. 
“After all, if I must die then I must. No one can 
die more than once.” 

“No, my prince, you shall not die,” said Kostschei’s 
daughter. “I cannot help you do something which 
cannot be done; but I can try to save you. We will 
escape together or we will die together.” 


226 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


A good start was a very necessary thing, for King 
Kostschei had swift horses in his stables to overtake 
those whom he pursued. With a little earth which 
she moistened with saliva and kneaded with her fin¬ 
gers, the young girl in a few minutes made a small 
figure gifted with life for a few hours’ time. Then 
she left the room with the prince, locked the door and 
threw the key far away. Taking the prince’s hand in 
hers, they both rose from the abyss at the very spot 
where they had descended into the earth. 

The sea, the reeds which grew along the shore, and 
the plain beyond again met their eyes. The prince’s 
horse was running about in the tall grass. As soon as 
it spied its master it began to neigh and ran up to him. 
Unhoped-For leaped into the saddle, took the princess 
up before him and off they flew like an arrow. 

When the prince did not appear at the hour he had 
set, Kostschei sent to ask why he kept him waiting. 
The servants who took the message found the door 
of his room locked and beat upon it with might and 
main, calling on him to open. Finally a voice an¬ 
swered from behind the door: 

“In a moment!” 

It was the little figure, imitating the prince’s voice. 

The servants took back this answer to Kostschei. 
He waited, but the prince did not come. Then he 
sent back the messengers, who called again, and again 
the voice answered: 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


227 


“I am coming!” 

When this new answer was brought him, Kostschei 
waited a little while longer; but still the prince did not 
appear. 

“Does he dare make fun of me?” the furious monster 
then cried. “Hasten, break down the door and bring 
him to me!” 

The servants rushed back, broke down the door, en¬ 
tered the room—and found only a little figure, which 
burst out laughing. 

When Kostschei heard this he fell into a terrible 
rage and ordered his servants to hurry off in pursuit of 
the fugitive. Woe to them if they did not bring him 
back! They leaped on their horses and away they 
went. 

Suddenly, as they rode madly along, the prince and 
the maiden thought they heard the gallop of horses’ 
hoofs behind them. Unhoped-For jumped down from 
his horse and laid his ear to the ground. 

“There can be no mistake,” said he, “we are pur¬ 
sued !” 

“If that is the case,” answered the young girl, “there 
is no time to lose.” 

She at once turned herself into a river, changed the 
prince into a bridge, the horse into a crow, and split 
the highway they had been riding into three roads 
leading off in three different directions. 

The horsemen who were pursuing them came to the 


228 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


bridge and were struck dumb with astonishment. On 
the other side of the bridge were three roads, without 
trees and visible for a great distance, and on none of 
the three roads was there any trace of the fugitive 
prince. What ought they to do? They rode back, 
hanging their heads, to the kingdom beneath the earth. 

Kostschei, who was waiting for them, trembling with 
impatience, had by this time discovered that his young¬ 
est daughter had also disappeared, and he did not for 
a moment doubt but that she had left with the prince. 

When he saw his horsemen return and knew that 
their pursuit had been in vain, he uttered cries of rage. 
Then, when he had listened to them, he said: 

“The bridge and the river were the prince and my 
daughter. Stupid creatures, hurry back at once!” 
And away they flew once more. 

The fugitives, as you may imagine, had not been idle 
in the meantime. But they could not ride as fast as 
their pursuers. 

“I hear hoof-beats,” said the young girl. 

Jumping down from his horse, the prince laid his 
ear to the ground again: “Yes, it is they, and they are 
drawing nearer!” 

At once the fugitives and the horse disappeared, 
turning into three enormous oak-trees, around which 
other bushes and trees sprang up, completely surround¬ 
ing them until there stood a gloomy forest, criss-crossed 
by innumerable paths and trails, along one of which 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


229 


seemed to sound the gallop of a horse. When Kost¬ 
schei’s messengers arrived they plunged into the forest 
and continued their pursuit along the path on which 
they thought they heard the hoofbeats of the gallop¬ 
ing horse. From time to time, by the magic Kostschei’s 
daughter made, they caught a glimpse of an imaginary 
horse carrying the prince and maiden. Kostschei’s 
horsemen galloped and galloped through the gloomy 
forest, while ever before their eyes lay the path and the 
fleeing couple. At last it seemed as though they had 
reached the fugitive when, suddenly, the horse and its 
riders were gone. What had become of them? The 
horsemen looked around on all sides, but in vain. 
Finally they returned to the place where they had en¬ 
tered the forest, and tired to death and discouraged, 
once more rode back to Kostschei. 

When they had told him how they had vainly pur¬ 
sued the fugitives a second time, the lord of the king¬ 
dom beneath the earth grew wild with rage, lost all 
control of himself and cried: 

“Give me a horse! I will pursue them myself and 
they shall not escape me!” 

And off he flew on horseback, foaming with fury. 

The forest, meanwhile, had disappeared; and the 
fugitives were galloping along as fast as their horse 
could travel, but Kostschei’s horse was swifter. 

“I think we are pursued,” said the maiden. 

“Yes,” answered the prince. 


230 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

“And this time it is Kostschei himself who pursues 
us,” said his daughter. “The very first church we 
meet, however, marks the end of his empire, for he dare 
not pass beyond it. Give me your golden cross!” 

The prince unfastened the golden cross, his mother’s 
gift, and Kostschei’s daughter turned the horse into a 
church and herself into a church-tower, which rose 
to the sky. On the top of the tower the golden cross 
gleamed in the sunlight. At the same time she turned 
Prince Unhoped-For into an old monk with a white 
beard. 

Soon Kostschei galloped up. 

“Have you seen a couple on horseback pass this 
way?” he asked the monk. 

“Yes. Prince Unhoped-For passed this way an 
hour ago with your daughter, King Kostschei. They 
stopped at this church, ordered a mass said for your 
health and told me to remember them to you if you 
came this way. They must be far, far away by now.” 

When he heard this answer, spoken in calmest and 
most positive way, Kostschei did not suspect a trick. 
In his turn he rode back the way he had come, boiling 
with rage and cruelly mortified. 

The fugitives could now ride on in peace without 
anything to worry them, for those who have once es¬ 
caped Kostschei’s terrible claws have nothing more to 
fear from him, even should he meet them again. 

The Prince Unhoped-For and Kostschei’s beautiful 


PRINCE UNHOPED-FOR 


231 


daughter soon reached the palace of the prince’s par¬ 
ents, where they were received with transports of joy. 
A few days later their wedding was celebrated with 
unheard of magnificence, and they lived happily ever 
afterward. 


THE EMPEROR’S DAUGHTER AND HER 

THREE SUITORS 


I N the old, old days there was once an emperor who 
ruled a distant land and who had a very beautiful 
daughter. Many suitors came to her father’s court to 
try to win her hand, and among them were three counts, 
who were great friends of the emperor. In fact, the 
emperor thought so much of all three, that he would 
not promise his daughter to any one of them, but said: 

“If you wish to win my daughter’s hand, wander out 
into the wide, wide world, and whichever one of you 
brings me back the choicest gift shall marry her.” So 
all three did as he said, and wandered oil into the wide, 
wide world in different directions. And in the course 
of time the first count found a magic carpet which 
would fly through the air and carry people on it as it 
flew; and the second found a magic spy-glass, through 
which one could see the whole world and everything 
in it, even down to a fleck of dust at the bottom of the 
sea; and the third found a magic salve which would 
cure every sickness, and even bring the dead to life 
again. 

They were far from each other when, one day, the 

suitor who had found the spy-glass looked through it, 

232 



“The suitor with the magic spy-glass saw 
the emperor’s daughter lying sick unto death ” 


‘'Page 233 


















































THREE SUITORS 


2 33 


and saw his companion just as he was loading the car¬ 
pet on his shoulder. At once he went to him. And 
when they had joined company, he looked through his 
spy-glass once more, and this time saw his other com¬ 
panion, whom both of them hunted up. And when all 
three were together again, they said: “And now let 
us see what the emperor’s daughter is doing!” 

At once the suitor with the magic spy-glass looked 
through it, saw the emperor’s daughter lying on a couch 
sick unto death, and told his two companions what he 
had seen. When they heard it, the suitor with the 
magic salve said: “I could cure her, if I could only 
reach her quickly enough!” To which the suitor with 
the magic carpet answered: “That is an easy matter! 
We will all three sit down on the carpet, and will reach 
the palace in a jiffy.” And when they had all seated 
themselves on the carpet, sure enough, they found 
themselves in the emperor’s palace before he knew it. 
As soon as the emperor saw them he said: “Alas, 
gentlemen, you undertook your long journey through 
the wide, wide world in vain! My daughter is lying 
on her death bed, so she can never marry any of you.” 

But the suitor with the magic salve answered: 
“Have no fear, Your Majesty, for your daughter shall 
not die!” He immediately rubbed a little of the salve 
on her lips, and no sooner had he done so than she 
sat up in bed, and began to talk, and in a short time 
she was as well as ever she had been. When the cm- 


234 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


peror saw this he felt very happy, and was so moved 
at the thought that she had been saved that he said he 
would give her to the suitor who had made her well 
again. But now the three counts began to quarrel in 
earnest, and as they quarreled the one who had rubbed 
the salve on the lips of the emperor’s daughter said: 
“If it had not been for my magic salve we would now 
be mourning over her grave, and there would be 
nothing to quarrel about.” But the count with the 
spy-glass answered: “If I had not seen her through 
my spy-glass, you would not have known she was sick, 
nor had a chance to use your salve, and she would not 
have been cured.” When he heard this the third count, 
who owned the carpet, said; “If it had not been for 
my carpet we could not have reached her so quickly, 
and would not have found her alive when we came.” 

When the emperor had listened to all that they said 
to each other he said to them: “Gentlemen, again I 
am unable to give my daughter to any of you! You 
have all three brought back with you things which are 
equally precious and valuable. So I beg of you that 
you leave me with peace and good will in your hearts, 
and give up the idea of marrying my daughter.” 

And this they did. Obeying the emperor’s com¬ 
mand, they left him and went into a wilderness, where 
they lived as hermits. They settled down far away 
from each other, and none of them knew the others’ 
whereabouts. Meanwhile the emperor married his 


THREE SUITORS 


235 


beautiful daughter to another count. After some years 
had passed, it chanced that the emperor’s son-in-law 
went to the wars and took his wife along with him, and 
as they were sailing across the sea a terrible storm arose, 
and the ship was cast against a rock and broken to 
pieces. All those on board were drowned; only the 
emperor’s daughter, who had caught hold of a board, 
managed to reach the shore, which was the shore of the 
very same wilderness in which the three counts who 
had been her suitors led the solitary lives of hermits. 
For three long years the emperor’s beautiful daughter 
lived here on wild herbs and berries. But one day she 
lost her way in the wilderness, and could not find the 
cave in which she lived again. After a time she came 
to another cave, which was provided with a little door. 
So she thought she would open the door, slip in and 
spend the night there. But no sooner had she turned 
the door-knob than a rough, hoarse voice said: “Who’s 
there?” At first she was frightened, but soon regained 
her presence of mind, and answered: “Unknown 
creature, please open the door!” Then the door 
opened and out stepped an old man, whose grey beard 
fell down to his girdle, and whose white hair spread 
out like a mantle over his bent back. 

The emperor’s daughter was really frightened when 
she saw the old man, for she had not believed there 
was a living soul in the wilderness. For a long time 
each looked at the other, and both were so surprised 


236 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


that neither spoke a word, for neither had ever expected 
to see a human being again. The old man was the first 
to collect himself: “Tell me, little daughter, are you 
one of God’s angels or a human being?” he said. And 
the emperor’s daughter answered: “Old man, let me 
into your cave and I will tell you about myself.” Then 
the old man took her by the hand, led her into the cave 
and offered her wild pears to eat; and when she had 
eaten them she began her story. 

“I am the emperor’s daughter, and three counts 
wished me to marry them. But my father could 
not choose among the three, for one was as good 
a match as the other. So he told them to wander out 
into the wide, wide world, and said that whichever one 
among them would bring him back the choicest and 
most valuable gift should have my hand in marriage. 
Off they went, and were gone for three years. Toward 
the end of that time I fell sick unto death. And while 
I lay dying, the three counts were on their way home, 
bringing with them their gifts, the one a magic spy¬ 
glass, the second a magic carpet and the third a magic 
salve.” Here the old man interrupted her: “And 
what happened then?” he asked, “for that is what mat¬ 
ters.” 

“Alas,” answered the emperor’s daughter, “they 
made me well again, but yet not one of the three won 
my hand, for my father the emperor married me to 
another count, who took me to the wars with him some 


THREE SUITORS 


237 


three years ago! Our ship sank at sea, and I was cast 
ashore in this uninhabited wilderness, and wandering 
about I have found you.” 

Then the old man struck his knee with his hand and 
cried: “I am one of the three counts who wanted to 
marry you, and here is the magic spy-glass through 
which I looked! I do not know whether my com¬ 
panions in this wilderness are still alive, but we can 
easily find out by looking through the glass.” Then 
the old man looked through the spy-glass, and saw his 
two companions in the wilderness, went to them, and 
told them all that had happened. They kissed and 
embraced each other, and when they had done so gave 
their three magic gifts to the emperor’s daughter, who 
at once seated herself on the carpet and flew back to her 
father, where she lived happily ever afterward. And 
that is the end of the story. 


ARGILUS AND HELEN 


O NCE upon a time there was a king and queen 
who had three daughters and one son. One day 
the king and queen were talking together, and the queen 
said: “When our daughters marry we will have to 
give each of them a part of our kingdom, and that will 
make our kingdom very small. So we had better make 
nuns of them.” 

But her son heard these words, and thought to him¬ 
self: “Not a bit of it! My sisters will be much hap¬ 
pier married than shut up in a convent.” So when 
the king and queen were far from home, overseeing 
the reapers on a distant puszta, one of those wide plains 
where the wheat grows high—for it happened to be 
harvest-time—some one came to the palace window, 
knocked and said to the prince: “Little king’s son, I 
want to marry your older sister!” The prince did not 
lose any time. “Wait a few minutes,” he cried, “and 
you shall have her.” 

So he called his oldest sister and as soon as she came 

into the room—slap, he threw her out of the window! 

Yet she did not fall to the ground, but on a golden 

bridge which was so long that it stretched from the 

earth to the sun; for the suitor who had come for her 

238 


i 


ARGILUS AND HELEN 


239 


was none other than the Sun King. He took the prin¬ 
cess by the hand and led her along the golden bridge 
until they reached his kingdom in the middle of the 
sun. 

When noontime came around, some one again stepped 
to the palace window, knocked and said: “Little 
king’s son, I want to marry your second sister!” The 
little prince answered: “Wait a few minutes. You 
shall have her right away.” Then he went into the 
second sister’s room, took her across his arm, and also 
threw her out of the window. Yet she did not fall to 
the ground, but into a carriage of air. Four steeds 
which never stopped snorting and rearing were har¬ 
nessed to the carriage. The unknown suitor seated 
himself beside her, and as soon as he cracked his whip 
the clouds spread themselves out and made a highway. 
The carriage rolled away like a storm, and in the 
twinkling of an eye had disappeared. This suitor was 
the Wind King. 

The king’s little son was greatly pleased to think that 
he already had married off two of his sisters. So when 
someone came that evening and knocked, he said: 
“You need not say a word. I know just what you 
want,” and with all the good will in the world he threw 
his third sister out of the window. This sister fell 
into a silver-clear brook. The unknown suitor took 
her arm, and the waves gently carried them off to the 
moon; for this third suitor was the Moon King. The 


2 4 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


/ 

king’s little son, however, feeling he had done a good 
day’s work, went happily to bed. 

When the king and queen returned home the follow¬ 
ing morning and heard what the little prince had done, 
they were very much surprised. But since they had 
obtained such powerful sons-in-law as the Sun King, 
the Wind King and the Moon King, they were very 
well satisfied, and said to the little prince: “See how 
powerful your sisters have become owing to the hus¬ 
bands they have obtained! Now you must choose the 
daughter of some great king for your bride.” 

But the prince answered: “Thank you, but I have 
already chosen a bride for myself. The beautiful fairy 
Helen shall be my bride and none other.” Then the 
king and queen were much frightened, and tried to get 
him to give up so dangerous an idea. When they did 
not succeed in doing so they at last cried: “Well, set 
out then, in heaven’s name, son, and may heaven pro¬ 
tect you in your rash endeavor!” 

At the same time the old king took two bottles out of 
his chest, and handed them to his son with the follow¬ 
ing words: “My son, this one bottle contains the water 
of life; while the other is filled with the water of 
death. If you sprinkle a dead man with the water of 
life, life will return to him; and if you sprinkle a liv¬ 
ing man with the water of death, he will fall dead. 
Take these bottles. They are the greatest treasures I 
have and perhaps you may find them useful.” 


ARGILUS AND HELEN 


241 


Now the entire court began to shed bitter tears, 
especially the court ladies, who were all very fond of 
the little prince. But he was brave and full of spirit, 
kissed the hands of his royal parents, hung the two 
bottles over his shoulder by a strap, the water of life 
to the right, the water of death to the left, girded on his 
sabre and set out. 

After he had wandered a long, long distance, he 
came to a valley full of dead men, for a battle had just 
taken place there. The prince took the bottle with the 
water of life and sprinkled some drops on the face of 
one of the dead men; and the latter at once rose, rubbed 
his eyes and cried: “Well, well, how could I have 
slept so long!” His deliverer said to him: “Tell me 
what has happened here?” And the soldier answered: 
“Yesterday we fought with the fairy Helen, and she 
gave us a terrible beating.” 

The prince shrugged his shoulders and went on. In 
the next valley a whole army lay scattered over the 
ground, and the little prince again awoke a dead man 
and asked: “Did the fairy Helen beat you too?” 

“Yes,” replied the man restored to life. 

“Why are you fighting against her?” inquired the 
prince. 

“Do you not know,” answered the soldier, “that our 
king wishes to marry her, but that she will take no 
one for a husband who has not overcome her? We 
marched against her with three armies. Yesterday she 


242 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

defeated the first, to-day she beat us at sun-rise, and 
now she is fighting the third.” 

And not long after, the prince as he went on, found 
the soldiers of the third army also lying as dead as 
door-nails. As he had done before, he recalled one 
of the fallen to life, and the latter said: “The battle 
is just over and the fairy Helen has killed us all.” 

“Where will I find her?” asked the prince. 

“Her castle is on the other side of yonder hill,” re¬ 
plied the soldier. 

Argilus—for that was the prince’s name—went over 
the hill and came to Helen’s castle. He walked in 
without being stopped, for there was no one in the 
place. But in Helen’s bed-room a sabre hung on the 
wall which kept leaping out of its sheath and back 
again with never a stop. 

“Oh,” said Argilus, “if you are as restless as that, I 
will make use of you! I like you better than I do my 
own sabre, which only moves when I swing it!” With 
that he drew his own sabre from its sheath and thrust 
Helen’s into it instead. No sooner had he done so 
than the fairy Helen stood before him. “What, you 
dare to force your way into my castle?” cried she. 
“Now you will have to fight with me!” And with 
that she tore the sabre from the wall, the little prince 
drew the one he had just exchanged, and they began 
to fight. But the very first time the two blades crossed 
the fairy Helen’s sabre broke in two. Then she 



ARGILUS AND HELEN 


243 


laughed and said: “You shall be my husband!’ 7 and 
fell on his neck and kissed and caressed him so that it 
was a pleasure to see. 

Then they were married; and after they had lived 
for a time in perfect peace and happiness, the fairy 
Helen said to her husband one morning: “Dear hus¬ 
band, I must leave you for a little while. I am part¬ 
ing from you for the first and last time, and will return 
in seven times seven days. After that our life shall 
move along in endless joy. Everything in the castle is 
at your disposal, only do not enter the last room, for 
if you do it might give rise to the greatest misfortunes.” 

With these words she disappeared. After she had 
gone, the prince found that time hung heavy on his 
hands without her. He went over the whole castle 
from top to bottom, finally came to the last room and 
then—for he was young and thoughtless—he unlocked 
it. There he saw an old man with a beard of flame. 
This was the Flame King, but the prince did not know 
it. There were three bands around the middle of his 
body, each band was made of steel, and they held him to 
the wall. Said the Flame King: “Greetings, young 
prince! See, this beard of mine is flame and it makes 
me very warm. Give me a drink of wine!” Now, 
since Argilus was very good-natured, he did as the old 
man asked him. Yet even while the Flame King was 
drinking, one of the steel bands which held him burst. 
He chuckled and said: “It tasted very good Please 


244 FAIRY TALES v FROM FAR AWAY 

% 

give me another flagon.” This Argilus did, and when 
he had drunk the second flagon, the second steel band 
burst. Then the Flame King laughed and said: 
“Twice you have given me wine, now give me a flagon 
of water!” As soon as the foolish prince had done so, 
the third band burst and the Flame King disappeared. 

The fairy Helen had not yet completed half her 
journey before the Flame King appeared beside her: 
“You rejected me as a husband, killed three of my 
armies, and took me prisoner. Now you are in my 
power. You shall not be my bride, but the very least 
of my servants.” 

Since Helen had married Argilus her magic strength 
had left her, so all her resistance was in vain, and with 
three mighty leaps the evil Flame King carried her off 
into his kingdom. 

The seven times seven days had passed and gone, but 
still Helen did not return. Then Argilus grew fright¬ 
ened, and made up his mind to travel to his three 
brothers-in-law and see if they did not know where he 
could find Helen. The first he met was the Sun King, 
who was just getting home. “Greetings, little brother- 
in-law,” said he, “and what brings you here?” “Dear 
brother-in-law,” said Argilus, “I am looking for my 
wife, who has disappeared. Do you not know where 
she is?” “No,” replied the Sun King, “I have not 
seen her. But perhaps she only can be seen by night. 
In that case you had better ask our brother-in-law the 


ARG1LUS AND HELEN 


245 

Moon King.’’ So they ate supper together and Ar- 
gilus wandered on to the Moon King. 

He reached the Moon King’s silver palace just as 
the latter was about to set out on his nightly journey. 
Argilus told him his trouble, but the Moon King re¬ 
plied : “I have not seen her, either, but come and take 
the road with me to-night, and perhaps we will catch 
sight of her.” So they travelled together the whole 
night long, but saw no trace of Helen. Then the Moon 
King said: “Now I must go home. But there comes 
our brother-in-law, the Wind King. Talk to him; he 
manages to get everywhere. Perhaps he has seen her.” 

In a moment the Wind King was standing beside 
them, and when he heard his brother-in-law’s story he 
said: “I know very well where she is. The Flame 
King holds her captive in an underground cavern, 
where she has to wash his pots and pans in the Burning 
Brook. As she gets very warm doing this, I have often 
cooled her off with my breezes.” 

“Thank you, dear brother-in-law, for cooling her 
off,” said Argilus, “but will you please take me to her?” 
“Gladly,” replied the Wind King. Fie breathed on 
Argilus and in a moment’s time Argilus and his horse 
were standing before Helen, who was so pleased to 
see him that she dropped the pots and pans into the 
Burning Brook. Argilus said very little, but quickly 
lifted her on his horse and rode off. 

The Flame King had just gone to his room when he 


246 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

heard a tremendous racket in the stable. Down he 
went, and there was his horse Taigarot rearing and 
prancing, neighing, biting his crib, and stamping on 
the ground. Now, Taigarot was a magic horse. It 
understood what people said, could answer them, and 
had nine feet. “Why are you carrying on in this 
way?” asked the Flame King. “Have you not feed 
enough? Did you not get your water?” “Feed I 
have in plenty, and water as well,” replied Taigarot, 
“but Helen has been carried off!” The Flame King’s 
beard trembled with rage; but Taigarot continued: 
“Be calm! Eat, drink and sleep, if you feel like it, 
for I can catch her again in three leaps.” So the 
Flame King did as the horse advised, and when he had 
strengthened himself and rested, he mounted Taigarot 
and in three leaps had caught up with Argilus, and 
torn Helen from his arms. As he galloped back he 
cried: “I will not kill you this time, but if you come 
to my palace again you shall die!” 

The little prince rode back sadly to his three 
brothers-in-law and told them what had happened, so 
the three brothers-in-law consulted and then said: 
“You must find a horse that runs even more swiftly 
than Taigarot. Now, there is only one such horse, 
and that is Taigarot’s brother. It is true that he has 
only four feet, but it is certain that he is swifter than 
Taigorot himself.” 


ARGILUS AND HELEN 


247 


“Where will I find this horse?” asked Argilus. 
And his brothers-in-law said: “Witch Ironnose keeps 
the horse hidden beneath the earth. Go to her, enter 
her service, and ask for the horse as your wages.” 

“Pray take me there, dear brothers-in-law?” begged 
Argilus. “At once,” said the Sun King; “but first re¬ 
ceive this magic wand from your brothers-in-law, who 
love you well.” With these words he gave him a wand 
which was made half of silver and half of gold, and 
trembled continually, for it was formed of sunlight, 
moonshine and wind. “Whenever you need our aid,” 
the Sun King went on, “thrust this wand into the earth 
and we will come to you!” 

With that the Sun King took his little brother-in- 
law on a sunray and carried him for a whole day; 
then the Moon King carried him for a whole night on 
a moonbeam; and finally the Wind King carried him 
for a day and a night, and by that time he had reached 
the palace of Witch Ironnose. 

The palace of Witch Ironnose was built of white, 
gleaming skulls, and there was but a single skull miss¬ 
ing to make the building complete. When the old 
witch heard a knocking at the door she looked out, 
and her heart rejoiced. 

“Here comes another at last,” she cried. “For three 
hundred years I have been waiting vainly for that one 
skull needed to complete my splendid palace. Come 


248 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


right in, my dear boy!” Argilus stepped in and was 
horrified when he saw the old witch close by, for she 
was large and ugly and her nose was of iron. 

“I should like to enter your service,” bravely said 
the little prince. 

“Well and good,” replied the witch, “and what do 
you want for pay?” 

“The horse that you keep hidden under the earth.” 

“You shall have it, my son, if you serve me faith¬ 
fully. But if you fail me but a single time, then you 
die.” 

“Very well,” said the prince, “be it so.” 

Then the witch explained: “Those who work for 
me, work only three days, and you may start work at 
once. Drive my horses out on the Silk Meadow 7 ; if 
one of them is missing this evening, then you forfeit 
your life.” 

With that she led the prince to the horses. The 
horses were all of brass; they neighed frightfully and 
gave the most curious leaps and bounds. 

“Well, get to work,” said Witch Ironnose and locked 
herself in her room. 

Argilus let down the bars of the horse-pen, flung 
himself upon one of the brass horses, and stormed away 
v 7 ith the whole lively band. 

No sooner had they reached the nearby Silk Meadow 
than the horse he was riding flung him head over heels 
on a bit of deep, marshy ground, into which he sank 


ARGILUS AND HELEN 


249 


up to his breast. Then the whole herd of horses scat¬ 
tered. But Argilus took the wand his brothers-in-law 
had given him and thrust it into the ground. At once 
the sunrays fell down with so glowing a heat that the 
whole marshland began to dry out, and the brass horses 
commenced to melt. Filled with terror, they all ran 
back to the horse-pen, and Witch Ironnose was very 
much surprised to see the horses all together once more. 

“To-morrow you shall tend my twelve black mares,” 
said she. “But if you do not bring them back before 
the last sunray sinks in the West, you are a dead man.” 

Now, the twelve black mares were the daughters of 
Witch Ironnose, and when Argilus rode out with them, 
one of the mares said: “I pity you, for you will find 
us harder to manage than the brass horses!” And, 
true enough, in a moment the twelve mares had scat¬ 
tered. But Argilus thrust his magic wand into the 
ground, and a terrible storm arose. The wind blew 
directly against every single one of them, and no mat¬ 
ter how the black mares reared and pranced, the wind 
was the stronger, and all had to run back home. Ar¬ 
gilus locked the stable door just as the last ray of the 
sun was sinking in the West, and there before him stood 
Witch Ironnose. She was very much surprised to see 
that the black mares and Argilus had come home again, 
and said: “If you do your work properly to-night, 
then you will be free to-morrow. Go and milk the 
brass horses and prepare a bath with the milk. And 


250 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


the bath must be ready by the time the first sunray 
appears in the sky!” 

After Argilus had left the stable, Witch Ironnose 
took a pitchfork and beat her daughters all night long. 

Meanwhile the prince went to the brass horses, 
thinking that this last was the hardest task of all. He 
was just about to thrust his magic wand into the ground 
when his brother-in-law, the Moon King, appeared: 
“I have been looking for you,” said the Moon King, 
a for I know just what you need. Dig three fathoms 
deep in the place where I shine in the stable of the 
brass horses. There you will find a golden bridle. 
Once you hold that in your hand every horse will obey 
you.” Argilus did as the Moon King had told him, 
and all the brass horses stood stock still and allowed 
him to milk them. 

In the morning the bath was ready, and the milk 
steamed and smoked, for it was boiling. Witch Iron- 
nose deceitfully said to Argilus: “Get into the bath!” 
Said the prince: “Very well, but if I stand this test 
then I shall ride straight off. So have the horse 
brought out which you promised me as the reward of 
my labors.” At once the horse stood beside the tub. 
It was a small horse, insignificant-looking and dirty. 
But when Argilus went to step into the tub, it dipped 
its head in the milk and drew all the fire into its nos¬ 
trils, so that the prince came to no harm in the bath. 
And when he stepped out he was seven times hand- 


ARGILUS AND HELEN 


251 


sorrier than before. When Witch Ironnose saw this, 
she thought: “Now I will make myself seven times 
handsomer too, and I will marry this good-looking 
prince.” At once she jumped into the tub. But the 
horse again stuck its head into the tub, and blew the 
fire which it had drawn out through its nostrils back 
into the milk again, so that Witch Ironnose was con¬ 
sumed by the flames. 

Prince Argilus now mounted his horse with a glad 
heart and rode off, and as soon as they had left the land 
of Witch Ironnose, the horse said: 

“Wash me in this brook!” This Argilus did and the 
horse at once turned golden-colored, and a little golden 
curl hung down from every hair he had. Then the 
magic horse, whose name was Tatos, leaped the ocean 
with a single bound, and carried his master to the 
Flame King’s cavern, where poor Helen was once more 
standing by the Burning Brook washing the pots and 
pans. “Come,” cried the prince, “I am going to res¬ 
cue you!” “Alas,” said Helen, “the Flame King will 
kill you if he catches you!” But Argilus had already 
lifted her to the saddle and was galloping off. 

At once the horse Taigarot began to make a terrible 
racket in his stall. “What is the trouble?” cried the 
Flame King. “Helen has run away,” said Taigarot. 
“Then I shall eat, drink and sleep,” said the Flame 
King, “for you can catch up with her in three leaps, as 
you already have done.” But Taigarot shook his 


252 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


mane. “Not so,” said he; “mount at once on my back, 
for even then we may not catch up with her. Argilus 
is riding my younger brother, the fastest horse in the 
world.” 

, So the Flame King buckled on his flame spurs, 
mounted Taigarot and rushed off. When they drew 
near the prince’s horse Tatos, the latter cried: 
“Brother, why do you let the Flame King drive his 
flame spurs into your ribs! He will only burn out 
your insides, and even then you will not be able to 
catch up with me! It would be better if both of us 
peacefully served the same master.” 

Taigarot saw that this was good sense, so the next 
time the Flame King thrust the flame spurs into his 
ribs he reared and flung him off. And since they were 
high in the air, just below the stars, the evil Flame 
King fell so heavily that he broke his neck. Argilus, 
however, brought Helen safely back to her palace, 
where they held their wedding all over again, and un¬ 
less they have died are still living in all joy and hap¬ 
piness. 


FOUR LITTLE TALES OF BURIED 

TREASURE 


I 

The Magic Flower 

I N the Harz Mountains there is a peak known as the 
Kyffhauser, on which the ruins of an ancient castle 
may be seen to this very day. Once upon a time, hun¬ 
dreds of years ago, a poor young shepherd boy who 
lived in the little village of Sittendorf, which lies amid 
golden meadows on the southern slope of the Harz, 
was wandering through the hills, and came to the foot 
of the Kyffhauser. Driving his sheep before him, he 
began to climb, and climbed higher and higher until 
he reached the top of the mountain. There he saw 
a beautiful blue flower, fairer than any he had ever 
seen before, so he picked it and stuck it in his cap, 
meaning to give it to the girl he loved down in the vil¬ 
lage when he returned. 

And as he was walking past the ruins of the castle, 

he caught sight of an old vault. It was open and its 

great oaken door swung back on its hinges. Curious, 

he stepped into the vault, saw that the ground was 

covered with thousands of glittering little stones, and 

picking up a number of them he stuffed them into his 

pockets. When he turned to go out into the open again 

253 


254 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

a deep voice cried: a Do not forget the best of allF* 
Then he was unable to remember what happened or 
how he got out of the vault. But no sooner did he 
see the sun and his grazing sheep again than the great 
oak door slammed to behind him. And when he took 
up his hat to look at the flower, he saw that he must 
have lost it while stumbling out of the vault. 

Suddenly a dwarf stood before him: “Where is the 
magic flower that you found?” he said. “I must have 
lost it,” answered the shepherd, sadly. “Then you 
have lost your luck,” cried the dwarf. “The flower 
was meant for you and was worth more than all the 
sheep in Sittendorf!” With that he disappeared, but 
the shepherd did not feel so badly, after all, though he 
had lost his magic flower, for when he put his hands 
into his pockets, he found that each glimmering little 
stone had turned into a bright gold piece. 

The magic flower was never found again, but to this 
day the shepherds and mountaineers of the Harz look 
for it among the ruins of the Kyffhauser, for it is clear 
that whoever finds it will have the key to the buried 
treasure of the ruined castle. 

II 

The Soul That TVent Treasure Hunting 

Once upon a time, in Iceland, a party of travellers 
put up their tent in an open field and laid down to rest. 


FOUR TALES OF BURIED TREASURE 255 


But the man who lay at the entrance to the tent could 
not sleep, and as he lay there awake, he saw a blue 
mist rise from the mouth of the man who lay next to 
him within the tent, move slowly toward the opening 
and float out. This roused his curiosity, so he stood 
up and followed. Before him the blue mist slowly 
moved across the field until it came to the skull of a 
horse, lying by the roadside, about which a number of 
flies were buzzing. The mist crept into the skull and 
remained there for quite a time; but finally crept out 
again. Then it kept on as before until it came to a 
little brook which crossed the entire field; and here it 
moved up and down, as though it would have liked to 
have crossed, but was unable to do so. When the man 
saw this he took the horse-whip he carried with him 
and laid it across the little brook, and at once the blue 
mist crept along the whip-handle and crossed the 
water. Then it kept on until it reached a little hillock, 
where it crept into a small hole. The man waited 
until the blue mist came out again, which was not very 
long, and then it returned the way it had come, again 
crossed the brook on the whip-handle, entered the tent 
and disappeared in the sleeping man’s mouth just as 
it had come forth. 

When the travellers prepared to continue their jour¬ 
ney the following morning and were saddling and 
packing the horses, the man who had slept next to the 
one in the tent-door said: “I wish I had what I 


3 

256 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

dreamt about last night!” So the man who had seen 
the blue mist rise from his mouth asked him what he 
had dreamt about and the other said: 

“It seemed to me that I left the tent and went out 

/ 

into a large plain. Soon I came to a fine, large house, 
in which a number of people were gathered, who were 
passing the time merrily, singing and playing. I 
stayed in the house for quite a time, and then came out 
and again went across the plain. Soon I came to a 
great river. For a long time I looked for some way 
by which I might cross, but could find none. At last 
I saw a great giant come along. He carried an enor¬ 
mous tree-trunk in his hands and laid it over the river, 
and on this tree-trunk I crossed, and again walked a 
long distance. Finally I came to a large burial mound. 
It was open and I went in, but all I found there was 
a great barrel full of gold pieces. I stayed there for 
a long time looking at the treasure; for I had never 
seen such a heap of gold before. Then I came out 
again and went back the same way I had come; the 
giant once more appeared and laid the tree-trunk over 
the river; I crossed and so got back to my tent.” 

When he had heard this, the man who had watched 
the blue mist grew joyful and said to the other: 
“Come along with me, friend, and we will get the 
gold pieces!” At first the other man laughed and 
thought his companion was not quite right in the head. 
But at last he agreed to go with him and there, when 



FOUR TALES OF BURIED TREASURE 257 

t 

they dug in the little hillock, they found a small barrel 
of gold pieces, which they divided between themselves. 
So if ever you see a soul wandering about in the shape 
of a little blue mist, while the body dreams, do not fail 
to follow it, for who knows but what it may lead you 
to a buried treasure. 


Ill 

The Old Man of the Wine cellar Hole 

Once upon a time, not far from a certain city, there 
was a deep hole in the stony ground of a little green 
valley, known as the “Winecellar Hole,” and supposed 
to contain buried treasure. And in this valley a poor 
shepherd, a good, quiet man, was accustomed to pas¬ 
ture his sheep. One night when the sun was going 
down, an old man stepped up to the shepherd and said 
to him: “Come with me and I will show you treas¬ 
ures from which you may take as much as you wish!” 
So the shepherd left his dog to care for the flock and 
followed the old man. They had gone but a short dis¬ 
tance when the ground suddenly opened before their 
feet, and both went far, far down into the earth until 
they came to a great chamber in which was heaped up 
an enormous treasure of gold and precious stones. 

“Take what you will!” said his guide. So the shep¬ 
herd chose a great lump of gold and a voice said. 
“Take it to the goldsmith in town and he will give you 


258 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

a good price for it!” Then his guide once more led 
him to the surface of the earth, and the shepherd did 
as he had been told and received a large sum of money 
for his lump of gold. Much pleased, he brought it to 
his father and the latter said: “Why not try your luck 
in the underground chamber once more?” “Yes, in¬ 
deed, father, and so I will,” answered the shepherd. 
“I left my gloves lying there, and if you care to come 
with me we will go down again to-night.” 

So that very night both of them set out, found the 
opening in the earth and reached the subterranean 
treasure chamber. There the gold and precious stones 
lay about as before, in great heaps, together with the 
shepherd’s gloves; and both men filled their pockets 
with all the gold and jewels they would hold and went 
out again, the door of the chamber closing after them 
with a loud crash. 

The next night they again tried their fortune, but 
this time they could not find a trace of the opening in 
the ground. While they were looking for it the old 
man of the Winecellar Hole came up to them and said: 
“If you had left your gloves in the treasure-chamber 
last night, instead of taking them away with you, you 
would have found the entrance the third time. The 
entrance was to open for you three times; but now you 
will never be able to find it again!” And so it was. 
Yet the shepherd and his father had carried off enough 
treasure during their two visits to be able to live in 


FOUR TALES OF BURIED TREASURE 259 


comfort and happiness the rest of their lives, and often 
thought with gratitude of the mysterious old man who 
had first led them to the Winecellar Hole. 

IV 

The Fearless Flute-Player 

Once upon a time there was a merry musician, who 
played the flute in a masterly way. lie wandered 
about in the world as chance would have it, playing his 
flute in town and village and thus managed to make a 
living. Now, it happened that one evening he came 
to a large farm and decided to stay there overnight, 
because he could not reach the next village before it 
grew dark. The farmer received him kindly, gave 
him a good supper, and after he had eaten begged him 
to play a few pieces for him. When the musician had 
finished playing he looked out of the window and there, 
by the light of the moon, he saw an old castle not far 
away, which seemed to be in a more or less ruinous 
condition. 

“What old castle is that,” he asked the farmer, “and 
to whom did it belong?” And the farmer told him 
that many, many years before a count had lived in the 
castle who was very rich, and at the same time very 
miserly. He had oppressed his subjects, never given 
any alms to the poor and finally—because he was too 
miserly even to marry—had died without an heir. 



26 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


Then his nearest of kin had come to take possession of 
his estate, but had been unable to find any of his riches. 
It was generally believed that he had buried his treas¬ 
ure, and that it was still lying somewhere in the old 
castle; but though many a man had gone there to hunt 
for it, none had ever returned. So the authorities had 
warned every one throughout the land, and had for¬ 
bidden all treasure-hunting in the ruins. 

The musician had listened attentively to what the 
farmer said, and no sooner had he ended than he told 
him he had a great desire to go to the castle himself, 
for he was daring and knew no fear. The farmer 
begged him earnestly to give up the idea, he even fell 
on his knees and asked him to show some regard for 
his young life and not to go to the castle. But prayers 
and pleadings werejn vain, the musician had made up 
his mind. 

Two of the farm hands had to light lanterns and ac¬ 
company the fearless flute-player to the old castle. 
When he got there he sent them back with one of the 
lanterns, took the second in his hand, and bravely 
climbed up a high flight of stairs. When he had 
reached the top he came to a great hall, with doors on 
all sides. Fie opened the first door, went into a room 
and, seating himself at an old-fashioned table, on which 
he put his lantern, began to play his flute. The farmer 
had been unable to sleep because of worry and anxiety, 
and had often looked out of the window. But when he 


FOUR TALES OF BURIED TREASURE 261 


heard the tones of the flute he was filled with joy to 
think his guest was still making music. When the 
clock on the wall struck eleven, however, and the flute¬ 
playing stopped, he was terribly frightened, thinking 
that whatever evil spirit dwelt in the old castle must 
have wrung the good-looking musician’s neck. Yet 
this was not the case. The latter had fearlessly en¬ 
joyed his own music, but finally he grew very hungry, 
for he had not eaten much in the farm-house, so he 
walked about the room and looked around. And 
there, on another table, he spied a pot of raw lentils, 
a cellar of salt, a jar of water, and a bottle of cider. 
He quickly poured the water on the lentils, stirred in 
some salt, made a fire in the fireplace—for the wood 
lay ready to hand—and cooked himself a good lentil- 
soup. While the lentils were boiling he drank the 
bottle of cider, and then played on his flute again. 
Then, when the lentils were cooked, he took the pot 
from the fire, poured the soup into a plate which stood 
on the table, and ate with a good appetite. After that 
he looked at his watch and saw that it was twelve 
o’clock. 

At this moment the door opened, and two tall black 
men stepped in carrying a bier on which lay a coffin. 
Without saying a word to the musician, who had re¬ 
turned to his soup and paid no attention to them, they 
set down the coffin in a corner, and went out of the 
room again. As soon as they had gone the musician 



262 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


got up quickly and raised the lid of the coffin. There 
lay a little old man with grey hair and a grey beard. 
But the youth was not afraid. He took the body out, 
propped it up near the stove, and no sooner had it 
grown warm than life began to stir in it. Then the 
youth fed the old man some lentils and tended him as 
a mother might her child until he grew quite lively, 
rose and said: “Follow me!” The little old man 
went ahead and the musician took his lantern and fol¬ 
lowed him without hanging back. The little man led 
him down a narrow, ruined flight of stairs into a deep, 
horrible vault. 

There in the vault lay a great heap of money. Then 
the little old man said to the youth: “Divide this heap 
into two equal parts for me, but if there is not exactly 
as much on the one pile as on the other, I shall kill 
you.” The youth only smiled and began to count out 
the money on two large tables, one coin on one, the 
next on the other. Before long he had divided all the 
money into two equal parts so that there was only a 
single shilling left. But this did not faze the musi¬ 
cian. Without wasting thought, he took out his 
pocket-knife, set the blade upon the shilling, and, tak¬ 
ing up a hammer which lay on the table, he cut it 
into two halves with a single blow. And when he 
threw one half on one pile, and the other on the other, 
the little old man became quite joyful and cried: 
“You heavenly fellow, you have set me free! For 


FOUR TALES OF BURIED TREASURE 263 


more than a hundred years I have been condemned to 
guard this treasure, which my avarice led me to gather, 
until I found some one who could manage to divide 
the money into two equal parts. As yet no one had 
been able to do so, and I had to strangle them all. 
Now, the one pile of money is yours, and the other must 
be distributed among the poor. You kind, good fel¬ 
low, you have set me free!” With that he disappeared, 
and the youth climbed the stairs and played merry 
tunes on his flute in the room in which he had eaten 
his supper. 

The farmer was glad to hear him playing once more, 
and early the following morning he went to the castle 
—for it was perfectly safe to enter by daytime—and 
gave the youth a joyful greeting. The latter told him 
his story and then took him down and showed him his 
treasure. He did as the little old man had told him, 
and divided half of it among the poor. Then he had 
the ruined castle torn down, and soon a new castle rose 
on the same spot in which the musician, now a rich 
man, lived happily to the end of his days. 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 


O NCE upon a time a ruler named Aladdin, who 
reigned over the kingdom of Kashmir, had a 
beautiful daughter. No doubt, this princess would 
have been called the greatest beauty in all the East, had 
not the daughter of Aladdin’s vizier been even more 
beautiful. Throughout the kingdom every one talked 
about the heavenly charm of the two maidens; but 
when it came to deciding between them, every one said 
the vizier’s daughter was the handsomer of the two, 
because she was kind and gentle, while the king’s 
daughter was proud and haughty. 

When the king’s daughter learned that the lovely 
Ghulnas—for that was the name of the vizier’s daugh¬ 
ter—was preferred to her, she was so vexed and morti¬ 
fied that she grew very ill. So her father called in 
the most famous physicians, and they said her illness 
was caused by a secret sorrow which preyed upon her 
heart. When the king heard this, he begged his 
daughter to tell him what troubled her, and swore that 
he would grant any wish she might make, whatever it 
be, even to the half of his kingdom. 

Then, though in her heart she was ashamed of her 

jealousy and envy of Ghulnas, the princess told her 

264 


/ 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 265 

father that the beauty of the vizier’s daughter was 
the cause of her sorrow, and that she would never grow 
well until Ghulnas was removed from the kingdom of 
Kashmir. And her father the king promised her that 
he would see that Ghulnas did not remain in Kashmir 
to trouble her. 

Then he sent for his vizier and said: “Vizier, I 
grieve to have to tell you so, but you must sell your 
daughter for a slave. I know it will be hard for you, 
but the life of my own daughter is at stake. I need 
say no more, except that I expect you to make this sac¬ 
rifice for me as a good and faithful servant.” 

For some time the unhappy vizier hesitated between 
his love for his daughter and his duty to the king. At 
last he decided to obey his master and turn a deaf ear 
to the voice of nature. Yet he was too proud to offer 
his daughter for sale as a slave in the public market, 
and in order to spare her this shame, he thought of a 
way out. He made the lovely Ghulnas lie down in a 
cedar chest, and then sent for an auctioneer and said 
to him: “Offer this chest for sale in the market-place 
for the sum of forty-thousand aspers of silver. But 
you are to sell it only on condition that the man who 
buys it takes it without seeing what it contains.” 

The auctioneer took the chest to the market-place, 
but in vain he tried to sell it. No one wanted to pay 
so great a sum for the cedar chest without knowing 
what was in it. Yet at last a young watercarrier, 


266 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


bolder than the rest, who suspected there might be some 
mystery about the chest, offered to buy it. He bor¬ 
rowed the forty-thousand aspers from a merchant who 
was a friend of his, and after he had handed them over 
to the auctioneer, carried the chest to his home. He 
was overcome with surprise and joy when, opening the 
chest, he saw that it contained a maiden whose beauty 
dazzled the eyes. 

“Charming houri” he cried—for in truth Ghulnas 
looked like one of the maidens of Allah’s paradise— 
“what strange adventures have brought you to this 
cedar chest?” But the daughter of the vizier, who 
did not wish to tell her name, answered: “I am no 
houri, but merely a poor, unfortunate girl whom fate 
has made your slave. Yet I will not complain, and 
will serve you faithfully and humbly now that you are 
my master.” But so charming was Ghulnas that her 
master the watercarrier could not think of her as a 
slave at all. He resolved to go before the judge and 
set her free, and then make her his wife. At the same 
time, before carrying out his plan, he thought he would 
put her to the test, and find out whether she could be 
trusted as a wife should be. So he led her to his 
mother, who lived in a small town, a few days’ jour¬ 
ney from Kashmir, took the latter aside and said to 
her: “Dear mother, I intend to marry this young 
slave girl whom I am leaving in your care. Watch 
her carefully, and when I come back tell me whether 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 267 


she is modest, truthful and loyal as a good wife should 
be.” Then he took leave of his mother and Ghulnas, 
telling them he would return in a few days. 

The beautiful slave soon won the heart of the water- 
carrier’s mother. So gentle and obliging was she that 
the older woman began to love her as though she were 
her own child. The watercarrier’s mother had always 
been very poor, yet had never complained of her pov¬ 
erty. It made her feel badly, however, to think that 
Ghulnas had to share her wretchedness, and she often 
wished she were wealthy in order to make things pleas¬ 
anter for the girl. And gentle Ghulnas, on the other 
hand, was moved by the misery of the woman who had 
shown her such kindness. So she gave her a large 
diamond, which she had hidden about her person when 
her unnatural father had shut her up in the chest, and 
told the old woman to sell it for ten thousand zecchins 
of gold. Since the diamond was very beautiful and 
of the clearest water, a buyer soon was found, and the 
old woman joyfully returned with the gold to Ghulnas, 
whom she now called her beloved daughter. 

Ghulnas then rented a large, convenient house for 
the watercarrier’s mother and herself, and filled it with 
comfortable furniture, for she had decided to think no 
more of her unhappiness, but to adapt herself to her 
new surroundings and her present mode of life. Yet, 
alas, events were about to take place which were to 
make her a thousand times more unhappy than before! 


268 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


The fame of her great beauty had quickly spread 
through the town in which she lived, and one young 
man fell so deeply in love with her that he was bold 
enough to tell her about it. When Ghulnas, whose 
heart was faithful to the watercarrier who had treated 
her with such delicacy and kindness, reproved her ad¬ 
mirer, the latter, filled with rage, made up his mind 
to do her an ill turn. He travelled to Kashmir and 
there, meeting the watercarrier, said to him: “I can¬ 
not help pitying you, when I think of the ingratitude 
with which your slave girl returns your kindness. 
While you are killing yourself with work here, she is 
living in luxury. No doubt, she has found a hidden 
treasure in your house, and is flinging it away right 
and left in your absence. Besides this, she goes about 
the streets unveiled and ill-treats your poor old 
mother!” The watercarrier, filled with rage, espe¬ 
cially at the thought that Ghulnas ill-treated his 
mother, did not stop to find out whether these accusa¬ 
tions were true or false, but hurried off to punish his 
slave. 

When he reached the town, the handsome house in 
which his mother was living and the neat furniture 
all confirmed what had been said of the hidden treas¬ 
ure, and made him feel sure he had been deceived. 
When he entered, Ghulnas, whose conscience was free 
from guilt, came forward to meet him. Blind with 
rage, however, he did not give her a chance to say a 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 269 

word, but thrust a dagger—which he had kept hidden 
beneath his coat—into her breast. And when he saw 
that his first blow had not stretched her to the ground, 
he drew back to stab her once more. Terrified, poor 
Ghulnas dodged him and, with the strength of despair, 
leaped straight out of the window. 

A Jewish merchant who happened to be passing the 
house saw the young girl lying in the street bathed in 
blood. He raised her up and carried her to his home. 
In the meantime, the watercarrier’s mother, who had 
been in an adjoining room, came hurrying in, having 
heard Ghulnas’ screams. There she saw her son, his 
eyes sparkling with rage, a dagger covered with blood 
in his hand, and said to him: “For whom is the dag¬ 
ger, my son, and where is Ghulnas?” 

“I have just this moment used the dagger on that 
faithless and disloyal slave, who has plundered me and 
ill-treated you!” 

“Are you out of your senses?” cried his mother, with 
tears in her eyes. “Ah, you will soon weep for the evil 
you have done! You have slain the kindest and most 
innocent of all maidens by mistake!” And then she 
told him how generously Ghulnas had relieved her 
own wretchedness by the sale of her diamond, and with 
what love and affection she had always treated her. 

Now, when it was too late, the watercarrier gave 
way to the greatest grief. He wept and ran down into 
the street, where he hoped to see his beloved Ghulnas, 


270 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

but she had vanished. Then he hurried from one end 
of town to the other, but could not find a trace of her. 

In the meantime, the Jewish merchant had sent for 
a physician, and when the latter had examined Ghul¬ 
nas’ wound, he declared that it was not mortal and that 
she would live. It turned out that the physician was 
right, for in the course of time Ghulnas recovered her 
health and all her former loveliness. Now, when he 
saw how beautiful she was, the Jewish merchant lost 
his heart to her, and earnestly begged her to marry 
him. But this Ghulnas could not do, for in spite of 
all she still loved her watercarrier. At last, when her 
admirer grew more and more urgent, and even wanted 
to set a day for the wedding, she determined to leave 
his home. There was only one way whereby she could 
escape from the house, for she was carefully guarded. 
This was through a window which opened on the sea, 
and when he had left her, she opened the window and 
flung herself into the sea, for even there, if it were so 
written in the book of life, she knew she might be saved 
by Allah’s aid. And, sure enough, three brothers, fish¬ 
ermen, who had cast their nets near the place where 
she had leaped into the water, saw her struggling in 
the waves. Since they were expert swimmers they 
seized her garments, drew her into their boat, and 
rowed off to a meadow on the other side of the town, 
where they brought her ashore. 

But the vizier’s daughter, once the efforts of her res- 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 271 


cuers had brought her back to life again, found she 
had leaped from the frying-pan into the fire, for she 
was in greater danger than ever. Her unusual beauty 
went straight to the hearts of the three brothers. In¬ 
stead of one man wishing to make her his wife, there 
were now three, for each of the brothers wanted to 
marry her, and they quarreled violently among them¬ 
selves as to which one of them she should wed. They 
were about to come to blows when a young knight 
chanced to ride by, whom they at once asked to decide 
their quarrel. “The only way to decide your difficulty 
is by lot,” said the young knight. “I will shoot three 
arrows in three opposite directions. Whichever one 
of you first finds his arrow and brings it back to me 
shall marry the girl.” 

This proposal pleased the fishermen so well that they 
accepted it without a single objection. The knight at 
once drew his bow, and shot three arrows into the air, 
in different directions. Each of the three brothers at 
once ran off as fast as he could in the direction taken 
by one of the arrows, in the hope of first finding it and 
bringing it back. When the young knight saw that 
they were a good distance away and still running, he 
swung Ghulnas up behind him on his horse, and, gal¬ 
loping off in the fourth direction, soon lost sight of the 
fishermen and reached a village belonging to him. 

Poor Ghulnas! She was so beautiful that every one 
who saw her at once wished to marry her. No sooner 


272 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


had the young knight dismounted and lifted her from 
the horse than he begged her to become his wife. 
Ghulnas at once saw that she could only avoid this 
new offer by some clever trick. So she listened to him 
without showing any anger, and even acted as though 
she were willing to accept his hand. 

“But,” said she, “you tell me your castle is only a 
mile away. These garments I wear are torn and soiled, 
and I should not like to ride to your home in them as 
your promised bride. I would feel ashamed. Order 
one of your villagers to bring you man’s clothing. I 
can slip it on over these robes stained by travel and salt 
sea water, and enter your castle as a man without at¬ 
tracting attention. Then you can provide me with 
silken dresses in which I need not be ashamed to show 
myself.” 

At once the knight had the best man’s robe that the 
village afforded brought, and when Ghulnas had 
slipped it on over her garments she said: “And now, 
to show you I can act the part of a man properly, and 
know how to ride, let me mount your horse and 
prove it!” 

The knight at once led the horse forward, and Ghul¬ 
nas, leaping lightly into the saddle, made it dance and 
prance. Then, while the knight was admiring her 
skill, she suddenly dug spurs into the horse’s flanks, 
rode off at full gallop, and vanished from his sight like 
a flash of lightning. Fearing that he might follow her, 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 273 

Ghulnas rode all that day and all the following night 
without stopping, and without any idea of where she 
was going. 

The following morning the first sunrays which lit 
the horizon showed her the walls and towers of a great 
city. Uncertainly, she turned her horse’s head toward 
it. And then, with the greatest astonishment, she saw 
that the inhabitants of the city were coming out to 
meet her. When they drew near they made the fol¬ 
lowing speech: 

“The king of our city died last night. Since he left 
no heir to the throne, his dying command was that we 
should take for our king the first man we met with 
when we opened the city gates this morning. You 
are that man!” 

Ghulnas with an amiable and kindly smile then re¬ 
ceived the homage of her new subjects, who never for 
a moment suspected she was a girl and not a man. She 
rode through the crowded streets while the people 
cheered, and took possession of the palace in which the 
king had lived. As soon as she had mounted the 
throne, she devoted herself entirely to matters of state. 
She chose honest and intelligent viziers, and, above all, 
saw to it that every one of her subjects received justice 
and that none were oppressed. Her people admired 
the wisdom with which she ruled, and blessed the fate 
which had brought them a king whose first thought 
was to make them happy. 


274 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

After the beautiful Ghulnas had ruled the city with 
wisdom and justice for some years, she had a magnifi¬ 
cent well built just without the city gates. And when 
the building had been completed, she had her picture 
painted in the likeness of a queen, not a king. This 
she did without telling the painter why or wherefore. 
When it had been completed, this picture was fastened 
high above the entrance to the well. Near-by Ghul¬ 
nas posted soldiers, who were ordered to bring to the 
palace all those who, on seeing the picture, sighed or 
showed any signs of grief. 

In the meantime, the poor watercarrier, who had 
been unable to get over the loss of his beloved slave, 
wandered from city to city, in hopes of finding a trace 
of her. At last he came to the well which Ghulnas 
had built, and no sooner had he caught sight of the 
face of the girl who was so dear to him, and of whom 
he thought day and night, than he uttered a deep groan. 
At once the soldiers seized him and led him before 
Ghulnas, whom he did not recognize because of her 
disguise. In an angry tone of voice she ordered him 
to tell her why he had shed tears at sight of her picture 
over the well. And the watercarrier, trembling vio¬ 
lently, told her the tale of his misfortunes. When he 
had finished, Ghulnas had him led off to prison. 

A few days later chance led the three fishermen to 
the same well: in the picture which hung above it they 
recognized tne girl they had saved from the waves. 


THE PICTURE OVER THE WELL 275 


The sight recalled all their grief at their loss, and they 
could not help sighing deeply. At once the soldiers 
led them before Ghulnas, who questioned them, as she 
had questioned the watercarrier, and then had them led 
to prison as well. Finally the Jewish merchant and 
the knight also came to the well, and also betrayed 
their grief by sighs and tears, and were sent to prison 
in turn. Then, when they were all together, Ghulnas, 
the vizier’s daughter, had them brought into her pres¬ 
ence and said: “Would you recognize the person for 
whom you sigh and w T eep if she were to appear before 
your eyes?” 

And when she had said this, she threw off her royal 
mantle and showed herself dressed in the robes of a 
princess. At this sight all six men fell on their knees 
and begged her to forgive them, because what they had 
done had been prompted by their great admiration for 
her beauty. And the daughter of the vizier was kind 
to them and forgave them freely; but it was the water- 
carrier whom she took by the hand and placed on the 
throne beside her, after she had ordered him to be 
clothed in royal robes. 

Then she called together the nobles of the kingdom, 
told them her story and begged them to make her dear 
lord and master, the former watercarrier, their king. 
To this they all agreed, and a few days later Ghulnas 
and the watercarrier were married with royal pomp 
and splendor. 


276 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


The Jewish merchant, the knight and the three fish¬ 
ermen were sent off to their own country with many 
rich gifts, yet rich as were the gifts they had received, 
there was not one of them who would not gladly have 
given them up to change places with the watercarrier. 


ACOYNAPA AND THE VIRGIN OF 

THE SUN 


O NCE upon a time a young shepherd named 
Acoynapa tended the flock of white llamas which 
the Inca sacrificed to the sun, high in the meadows of 
snow-clad Cordillera. The mountains rose above the 
pleasant vale of Yucay, where lay the palace of the 
Inca. But the chime of the little golden bells on the 
Inca’s hammock did not reach the heights, where the 
great condor, the bird of light, hung silently in the 
blue skies above the shepherd. Acoynapa was a gentle 
youth, and he played sweetly on his pincullu, the flute 
all shepherds use, while his flock cropped the herbage. 

Now, one day two virgins of the sun, whose palace 
lay in the valley below, wandered over the green moun¬ 
tain meadows and met Acoynapa. They spoke kindly 
to him, and he told them his name and that he came 
from a town named Laris. One of the virgins—she 
was called Chuquillantu, “The Shadow of a Lance,” 
because she was so graceful and slender—noticed that 
the shepherd wore a tablet of silver on his forehead. 
Looking closer, she saw that it represented two figures 
devouring a heart, and she took it in her hands and 
toyed with it. 


277 


278 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


But when she had returned with her companion to 
the palace of the sun virgins, Chuquillantu at first 
could not close her eyes, for her heart had gone out to 
the shepherd lad. Yet in the end she slept, and as she 
slept she dreamt a dream. In her dream she saw a 
bird flying from one tree to another, singing softly 
and very sweetly. And after singing for a time the 
bird put his head to one side, looked at Chuquillantu 
and said to her: “Do not sorrow, O daughter of the 
sun, for all shall be well with you!” Then Chuquil¬ 
lantu told the bird how her heart had gone out to the 
gentle shepherd Acoynapa, who tended the white 
llamas of the sun on the mountainside above Yucay. 
Her love bade her seek the shepherd, yet she feared 
to do so lest her father the sun be angry, for the virgins 
of the sun must give up all hope of earthly love. 

But the checollo bird, who had a voice like a night¬ 
ingale, said to her: “Rise, and sit between the four foun¬ 
tains!”—for in the court of the sun virgin’s palace rose 
the four crystal fountains, which flowed in the direc¬ 
tion of the four provinces of the empire. “There sing 
your heart’s desire. And if the fountains repeat your 
words, then you may do as your heart bids you do!” 
And with that the checollo bird flew away. 

Chuquillantu awoke. She was filled with terror, yet 
she rose, dressed and sat between the four fountains, 
and there sang her heart’s desire. And she repeated 
what the silver figure on Acoynapa’s forehead brought 


ACOYNAPA AND VIRGIN OF SUN 279 


to her mind, and sang: “Love and care devour my 
heart!” And presently the four fountains began to re¬ 
peat her words in silver, murmuring voices. 

And as with Chuquillantu so it had been with Acoy- 
napa. When his visitors had departed he sought his 
hut, his heart filled with Chuquillantu’s beauty. Yet 
he played his flute with tears and the music touched 
the heart with grief, for he knew that his love was 
hopeless. How might a simple shepherd boy hope to 
win a virgin of the sun? 

Now, far off in Laris, Acoynapa’s mother, who was 
skilled in magic, was aware that he suffered. She hur¬ 
ried to his mountain hut, wiped away his tears, and 
set fragrant herbs a-simmering to make a draught 
which would cause him to forget his grief. And while 
they were simmering, Acoynapa’s mother encountered 
Chuquillantu, whose tender heart once more had led 
her to seek the shepherd. She thought he was out on 
the mountain with his flock, but he lay sleeping in the 
hut under a beautiful magic cloak his mother had 
spread over him. So beautiful was the cloak that 
when Acoynapa’s mother brought it from the hut and 
showed it to her, Chuquillantu felt a great longing to 
possess it, and the shepherd’s mother gave it to her. 
For a while Chuquillantu strayed through the meadows 
looking for Acoynapa, but not finding him she re¬ 
turned sadly to the palace of the virgins of the sun. 
There the guards, who always examined the virgins 


280 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


to sec that they brought no fillets or necklaces Into the 
palace, saw only the cloak, and allowed her to pass 
undisturbed. 

But this cloak was a magic cloak. While Chuquil- 
lantu slept it turned into the person whom it had last 
covered, and suddenly, there stood Acoynapa. And 
the shepherd knelt beside her couch and called upon 
Chuquillantu by name, and she awoke. 

Then, with many tears, he told her of his love, and 
begged her to flee with him from the palace. Once 
more he turned into a cloak and Chuquillantu, forget¬ 
ting the vows a virgin of the sun makes, swiftly left 
the palace and walked from it, wrapped in the cloak, 
until she reached a ravine out of sight of the guards. 
There the shepherd Acoynapa resumed his natural 
shape. Yet one of the guards had followed Chuquil¬ 
lantu out of curiosity. Suddenly he saw a man stand 
beside her, and he ran to the palace and gave the alarm. 
Then the lovers fled into the mountains, knowing that 
they would be pursued. On they toiled for a time, 
until weariness overcame them not far from the town 
of Calca. And, being weary, they rested a while. Yet 
though they had meant to keep watch, their eyes closed 
in slumber, and they slept until awakened by the shouts 
of their pursuers, who had drawn near. Then Acoy¬ 
napa rose and with him Chuquillantu. Yet, just as 
she had put on one of her shoes of soft, white wool and 
still held the other in her hand, the sun-god, from 








ACOYNAPA AND VIRGIN OF SUN 281 


whose palace she had fled, thus breaking her vow, 
turned her into stone, together with Acoynapa. And 
there they stood with their faces turned toward Calca. 
Yet kind was the sun-god, the great Inti, and he ful¬ 
filled the promise of the checollo bird. For the hearts 
of Acoynapa and Chuquillantu were no longer de¬ 
voured by care, and they were united for all time. To 
this day their figures still stand side by side, for all to 
see who travel the road between Calca and Huayalla- 
pampa. 


HET FAMKE 


W EST of the Sudersee, off the Friesland coast, a 
strange thing happens every year. Out of the 
salt sea water, above the place where the proud city 
of Stavoren now lies buried beneath the waves, green 
shoots sprout up. They grow rapidly until great fields 
seem to be rising above the waters. Soon the ears of 
wheat appear but—they are barren. And no lark sings 
above these barren fields, no flower nods among its 
grasses, and what use is a scythe to cut wheat which 
bears no fruit. 

Hundreds of years ago, on the spot where the fields 
of barren wheat now rise from the waves, stood Stavo¬ 
ren, the richest and proudest city of Friesland. The 
ships which filled its harbor were countless in num¬ 
ber; gold was the cheapest metal used by the towns¬ 
folk; even the dogs ate from silver dishes, and the 
knockers on the doors were of costly metals. But their 
wealth made the people of Stavoren haughty and heart¬ 
less. The richer they grew the less charitable they be¬ 
came, and the most haughty and heartless among them 
all was a maiden named Het Famke. 

None could count her wealth in houses and goods, 

ships and coined money. But so hard-hearted did she 

282 




HET FAlMKE 


283 

show herself to the poor that she was said to be a meer- 
woman—for the meerwomen have no heart, and unless 
they win the whole-souled love of a human being, they 
dissolve in foam on the sea-waves when a thousand 
years have passed. It was for this reason, so the story 
went, that Het Famke had come out of the sea to dwell 
in Stavoren among men. Many youths begged her to 
marry them, for Het Famke was beautiful; yet she re¬ 
fused them all, for the man she wanted, one of her 
sea-captains, was not among them, nor had he any 
thought of loving her. So one day, when he brought 
his ship into port filled with a valuable cargo, she said 
to him angrily: “Of what use is this rubbish to me? 
I still lack what is worth more than anything else in 
the world!’' When Het Famke, the meerwoman said 
this, she meant that she lacked the love which would 
make the captain her own, heart and soul. The cap¬ 
tain, who was a loyal man and eager to do his duty, 
asked, “Lady, what is worth more than anything else 
in the world?” And Flet Famke answered: “Go 
find it and bring it to me!” 

The captain went back to his ship, took aboard 
money and goods, and set sail to find the most valuable 
thing in the world for his haughty mistress. Now, in 
those days all the costliest and most valuable things in 
the world came from the East Indies. Cinnamon and 
pepper, allspice and mace were worth more than 
double their weight in gold. So the captain laid his 


284 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


course for the Indian isles, and there loaded his ship 
with fragrant spices. On his way home, he stopped at 
the town of Calicut. There, as he passed through the 
streets, he saw cloths of fine silk, pearls and jewels 
spread out for sale on mats of woven straw. And his 
mate, who was with him, said: “Captain, they have 
no silks and jewels such as these in Stavoren. A 
woman’s heart would delight in them. Why not bring 
Het Famke the choicest among them?” “Right you 
are!” said the captain. “Of goods and gear she has 
more than enough, and so have others. But that which 
the others lack must be the most valuable thing in the 
world for her.” 

He at once sold his cargo of spices, bought pearls, 
silks and jewels instead, and then set sail with favor¬ 
ing winds for his native land. But in order not to fall 
into the hands of the Spaniards at sea he took the longer 
route around Scotland, and passing the Hebrides he 
fell in with such terrible storms that his ship was flung 
about for days on the waves, till he lost his course alto¬ 
gether, got into the East Sea and finally took refuge 
in the port of Dantzig. In Dantzig he met other sea 
captains from the Low Countries, and as it was now 
a year since he had sailed from home, he asked news 
of Stavoren and Het Famke. And the others told 
him: “The haughty Stavoreners, who fed their dogs 
from silver dishes, are in a bad way. All their gold 
and all their goods are of no use to them now. A great 


HET FAMKB 285 

famine has broken out, and the whole country is bare 
of wheat and cattle.” 

When Het Famke’s captain heard this the scales 
fell from his eyes. Now he knew what was the most 
valuable thing on earth. And he thought to himself: 
“Heaven sent the storm which drove me to Dantzig, 
so that I might find the most valuable thing on earth 
and bring it home to the starving in Stavoren. For 
what could be more precious than beautiful golden 
wheat, the gift of the good God Himself, which keeps 
us fit to live and work!” So he sold the silks, pearls 
and jewels he had brought from Calicut, and loaded 
his ship with all the wheat it would hold in their stead, 
and swiftly set sail for Stavoren. 

As soon as he had entered the harbor, he had himself 
set ashore, hastened to Het Famke’s house, and cried: 
“Lady, I have the most valuable thing in the world 
aboard! Come and see!” “What?” said Het Famke. 
“I thought you were somewhere off the coast of Africa, 
trading for gold and ivory! But since you are here I 
will see what you have brought me.” So she had her¬ 
self rowed aboard the ship with him, and he joyfully 
showed her the golden grain. “And you call that the 
most valuable thing in the world?” asked Het Famke. 
The captain answered: “Indeed, Lady, there is noth¬ 
ing more valuable than this golden wheat. There is 
enough of it to keep the whole city alive and in good 
health, and to prepare a mansion in heaven for you." 


286 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


When Het Famke heard these words she grew as 
white as chalk and for a time she said not a word. 
Then she turned to the captain and asked: “On which 
side of the ship did you take on this cargo?” “On the 
starboard side,” replied the captain. “In starboard, 
out larboard!” cried Het Famke. “Look sharp, you 
sailors, and throw the whole cargo overboard on the 
larboard side!” 

“Lady,” said the captain, “what are you doing? 
Think of all the people in Stavoren who must perish 
of hunger if you do this! If you think my cargo be¬ 
neath your notice, at least give it away to the poor!” 
But Het Famke answered with a sigh: “Why should 
they eat and be satisfied while I must die of hunger?” 
But the captain did not understand the meerwoman, 
who meant he had only brought her wheat, and not 
the love of his heart and soul. So he continued to 
plead with her. “You should not say such things, 
Lady. No one may mock God, and His Allpowerful 
arm can punish the proudest and richest!” Het 
Famke laughed scornfully: “I am not afraid of 
Him,” said she. “If He be Allpowerful, then let Him 
take care of His poor and let the wheat which I cast 
into the sea ripen for them!” Neither pleas nor 
prayers could move her. The whole cargo of golden 
grain was flung into the salt water, while the poor of 
Stavoren looked on with watering mouths and wrung 
their hands. 



‘“In starboard, out larboard!’ cried Het Famke.” 


Tage 286 








































































HET FAMKE 


287 

Yet Het Famke’s hardness of heart and contempt 
for God was not to go unpunished. Not long after a 
great tidal wave swept over Stavoren and carried away 
Het Famke, together with ships, houses, fields and all 
her possessions down into the deep. Far inland, those 
who escaped the flood built a new town behind dikes. 
But the wheat which the meerwoman had cast into the 
water, and challenged God to make grow, grows and 
blooms on the waves year by year, though its ears are 
always barren. Fishermen say that on clear, warm 
days the buried city, with its walls and towers, its splen¬ 
did houses and harbor full of ships rises from the 
waves, and that Het Famke in the dress of centuries 
past, may be seen sitting on a rock and looking out over 
the barren fields of salt-sea wheat. But it is considered 
unlucky for any one to see the meerwoman sitting 
there. 





THE THREE MAGIC APPLES 

O NCE upon a time, many hundreds of years ago, 
there lived three kings. The first ruled a land 
of rich cities and broad fields of sesame and maize. 
The second ruled a land of endless, grassy plains, where 
thousands of horses with tossing manes ran wild. The 
third ruled a little mountain kingdom, whose snow- 
covered peaks looked down on a green valley where 
roses grew. 

Now, it happened that on the self-same day and hour 

each of the three kings was given a little son, and 

when this had happened each of them dreamed the 

same, identical dream. They dreamt that they stood 

together in an unknown place, before a black tree 

whose roots of lustrous crystal disappeared beneath 

their feet into the darkness of the earth. From the 

black tree hung three apples: an apple of gold, an 

apple of steel and an apple like any other, save that it 

was larger and redder and gave forth a wonderful 

fragrance. And as the kings stood looking at 'the 

apples a voice came from the tree and said: 

“The three magic apples which grow on this tree 

are for your three sons. Each of you shall take one 

and keep it until his son comes of age. Then he shall 

288 


THE THREE MAGIC APPLES 289 

give the apple and his kingdom into his hand, and tell 
him of the dream he dreamt.” Now, the king who 
ruled the land of rich cities and was the oldest, said: 
“I choose the apple of gold,” for he thought to him¬ 
self, “Gold is stronger than anything else.” No sooner 
had he said this than the golden apple was in his hand. 
And the king who ruled the land of endless plains said: 
“I choose the apple of steel,” for he thought to him¬ 
self, “Steel overcomes gold.” Before he had finished 
speaking he was holding the apple of steel. Then, 
seeing that there was but one apple left, the third king 
said: “I will take the apple which is left, for it is 
fairer than any on earth, and after all, a gift is a gift.” 

When they awoke, each of the three kings still held 
the apple of his dream in his hand. 

In due course of time the three princes grew up and 
came of age. Then the king who ruled the land of 
rich cities called his son to him, turned over the apple 
of gold and the kingdom to him, and told him of his 
dream. And no sooner had he given the apple to the 
young prince than the latter at once began to gather 
treasure. Throughout his kingdom he increased the 
taxes. The caravans which brought the riches of far 
lands into his cities had to deliver a tenth instead of a 
twentieth of the goods they brought to the royal treas¬ 
ury. The weavers of silk, the miners who washed the 
golden sands of the rivers, and the divers who brought 
up pearls pink and white from the ocean depths, had 


2 9 o FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

to give over to the tax gatherers a full half of their 
gains. And to hold the treasure which flowed to him 
in an endless stream, the young king built a great, high 
tower which he named the Tower of Gold. In it sacks 
of gold and silver were piled up like sacks of wheat; 
and his whole thought was to fill this tower from top to 
bottom with treasure. 

The second king, who ruled the land of endless 
plains, gave his son his kingdom and the apple of steel 
at the same time. But while the first young king 
thought only of gathering a harvest of gold, the heart 
of the second was fixed on raising a crop of steel. 
Night and day the forge-fires of the smiths burned be¬ 
neath the open sky, as they hammered out swords and 
spears and shields; the wild horses of the steppes were 
captured and trained, and the saddlers turned the skins 
of the cattle into saddles and harness. And in the 
course of time, for every golden coin the first young 
king had in his Tower of Gold, the second young king 
had a wild horseman in steel, ready to draw sword at 
his bidding. 

But what of the son of the third king? When he 
came of age and his father turned over to him the little 
green valley in which the roses grew, he thought 
neither of gold nor of power. The king of the land 
of rich cities kept his apple of gold in a casket of crys¬ 
tal, the king of the land of endless plains kept his apple 
of steel in a bag made of the skin of a white doe, 


THE THREE MAGIC APPLES 


291 


adorned with precious stones. But the king of the 
little valley took his apple and said: “Why should I 
keep it for myself? Perhaps it will bear others of its 
kind, and then all the people of my valley will enjoy 
this wondrous fruit.” And while the two other kings 
were gathering golden treasure and fighting men, the 
third planted his magic apple, and from it grew a won¬ 
derful tree which rose to the skies and bore fruit by 
the thousandfold. And so fragrant were its apples 
and so delicious to the taste, that those who ate them 
grew content and happy; their daily tasks seemed 
lighter, and love and kindness toward their fellow 
beings filled their hearts. Gradually, as more and 
more of the seeds of the trees were planted in the course 
of years, the valley kingdom came to be surrounded 
by a hedge of fragrance on all sides, a fragrance which 
filled the souls of the valley people with gladness. 

Now, when all the horses with tossing manes had 
been captured and trained, and all the men in his king¬ 
dom had been clothed in steel and provided with 
weapons, the king of the endless plains smiled to him¬ 
self. He stepped out in front of the great tent in which 
he dwelt and cracked his whip with nine lashes in the 
air. And at the crack of the whip his wild horsemen 
began to ride by thousands toward the land of rich 
cities and fertile fields. They rode like the wind, their 
arrows darkened the sky, and where the hoofs of their 
savage horses had trod no green thing grew. When 


292 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

they reached the chief city of the king with the golden 
apple, he rode out with his soldiers to meet them. But 
his soldiers were few in number, for he had dismissed 
many brave men to save their pay and the quicker to 
fill the Tower of Gold. So his soldiers were beaten 
and he was slain by one of the wild horsemen who did 
not even know who he was. Then the king of the end¬ 
less plains went into the Tower of Gold. It was like 
a stone hive filled with priceless honey. The floors of 
the tower were paved with silver bars; the sides of the 
walls were hidden by sacks of coined gold; chests of 
cedar were bursting with jewels and pearls and pre¬ 
cious stones. And the king was glad to think that his 
father had chosen the apple of steel, for here was proof 
that its magic was stronger than that of the apple of 
gold. And when at last, in the top-most room of the 
tower, the young king found the crystal casket contain¬ 
ing the apple of gold, he smiled again, for the apple’s 
golden glow had faded, and it had turned into dull and 
tarnished brass. 

So, taking the treasure with him, he returned to his 
own land, and sent his wild horsemen forth north, 
south, east and west, until he had overcome all the 
countries of the Asian world. Then he had his wise 
men draw a map of the lands, so that he might see 
whether he had overlooked the conquest of a single 
country. On this map the kingdoms he had conquered 
were painted red, and the whole map was red with the 


THE THREE MAGIC APPLES 


293 


exception of one white little corner, and that was the 
little valley kingdom over which the third king ruled. 
Now, when the king of the endless plains saw this little 
white spot on his red map of conquest, he frowned and 
called for the captains of his horsemen. “How is it 
that this land has not been conquered ?” he cried. 
Then one of the captains told him that an army had 
been sent out against it, but had returned without ac¬ 
complishing anything. “And how was that?” asked 
the king. “Were my horsemen beaten?” “They were 
not beaten, O king,” the captained answered, “but they 
could not fight.” The king thought this very strange, 
and, without losing time, mounted his horse, and with 
a great host of steel-clad horsemen he himself took the 
road which led to the unconquered land. In the course 
of a few days he reached the boundary of the valley 
kingdom. Here there were no guards or soldiers to 
be seen, nothing but a row of tall trees which stretched 
across the pass that led into the valley. And when the 
king and his men rode closer, a strange thing happened. 
The trees were filled with great red apples, more beau¬ 
tiful than any the king had ever before seen. They 
hung from the trees by hundreds, and gave out a fra¬ 
grance so sweet and powerful that it filled the heart 
with an unknown peace and contentment. 

And when this fragrance came to the king and his 
horsemen, their swords and spears dropped from their 
hands, they unbuckled their armor and took off their 


294 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

helmets and flung them into the grass by the roadside; 
for it seemed foolish to keep such heavy and useless 
things. And as they rode along the highway lined 
with the magic apple-trees, which led to the city of 
the lord of the valley, the king of the endless plains 
and his wild horsemen had left all their weapons be¬ 
hind and never noticed their absence. When they 
reached his palace, the lord of the valley came out to 
do them honor, with music and rejoicing, and the king 
of the endless plains leaped down from his horse. 
Now, when he had started out he had meant to say: 
‘Tour kingdom is the only spot of white on my red 
map of conquest, so give me your young men to serve 
in my army, and acknowledge me as your king and 
master 1 ” Instead he embraced the lord of the valley 
and said: “How glad I am, brother, to be your guest 
in this pleasant place!” And his host led him into the 
palace while the people of the city took his horsemen 
into their houses, and entertained them with their best. 

But the king of the endless plains, though a great 
peace filled his heart as he sat in the palace of his 
brother king, could not understand the change that had 
come over his spirit. So at last he said: “Tell me, 
O king of this little valley, why it is that I have no de¬ 
sire to make you my slave, and take your treasure for 
myself, and your young men to fight my battles?” 

Then the king of the valley smiled and answered: 

“just as the golden apple of the king of the land of 


THE THREE MAGIC APPLES 295 


rich cities had turned to dull and tarnished brass when 
you found it, so has your own apple of steel been eaten 
away by red rust. My apple is the only one which 
had endured, and for this there is a reason. It was 
no common magic apple, but an apple of Paradise. I 
planted it in the rich black soil of my valley, and it 
grew and bore fruit a thousandfold. Of course, earth 
is not paradise, and the apples which have sprung from 
these earth-grown trees no longer give those who eat 
them the gift of immortal life, as the original apple 
would have done. Yet all of them have kept certain 
qualities of the wonder apple which grew in the sky 
gardens. They bestow health and contentment, and 
wherever their magic fragrance spreads there is room 
only for love and kindness in the hearts of men. That 
is why you cannot conquer my valley kingdom, for as 

1 

soon as you draw near the trees which guard it, all 
save good and kind wishes have to leave your mind.” 

The king of the endless plains knew that he had 
heard the truth. He sighed and said: “Your apple 
was the best of the three, for it has brought you per¬ 
fect content. The king of the rich cities who held the 
golden apple thought only of hoarding treasure. I, 
who held the apple of steel, have thought only of rob¬ 
bing the lands and treasures of others by force of arms. 
But the apple of Paradise has given you contentment 
and happiness which can neither be bought with gold 
nor conquered by steel.” 


296 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

Then he rode off with his wild horsemen and, sure 
enough, when he returned to his own land, and opened 
the white doe-skin bag, he found that the apple of steel 
was eaten away with red rust. But the king of the val¬ 
ley lived in joy and contentment as long as the trees 
which had sprung from the apple of Paradise flour¬ 
ished in his native land. Yet that was many hun¬ 
dreds of years ago, and now those trees have all died 
and none even know the place in which they grew. 



THE DREAM OF RUSTAN 


O NCE upon a time there lived not so far from the 
city of Tahauzeguh a young huntsman named 
Rustan who was not content with his lot in life. Allah 
had given him skill with the bow and arrow, and he 
seldom rode into the forest without bringing back game 
whose flesh, prepared by his cousin Mirza, made a 
welcome addition to the fruits and vegetables of his 
Uncle Massud’s garden. The skins, which he sold in 
town, provided many little comforts and conveniences. 
But Rustan was not grateful for his skill as a hunts¬ 
man, because his whole mind was filled with a desire 
for wild adventures and his thoughts were all of win¬ 
ning a throne in some distant land, 

Now, these thoughts were not really Rustan’s own. 
He had a black slave named Zanga, who rode with him 
a-hunting, and it was Zanga, whose tales of bold ad¬ 
venturers who had twisted a royal turban about their 
brows which had filled the huntsman’s mind with fan¬ 
tastic longings. One noon-time, when they had been 
hunting in the forest as usual, and were resting in the 
shade of a tree, Zanga said to his master: 

“For a long time, master, you have yearned for some 
splendid adventure which would be worth trying, and 


298 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

* 

at last there is an adventure to be dared that will make 
you a king if you dare it. The Sultan of Samarkand 
is hard beset by the Khan of Tiflis, his enemy, and has 
promised the hand of his daughter Gulnare to who¬ 
ever will deliver him from his foe.” 

When he heard this, Paistan’s mind was made up., 
Why should he live the life of a simple huntsman, con¬ 
tent with its daily labor and its small rewards? He 
would set out for Samarkand that very evening, and try 
his fortune. At once he rose, bade Zanga saddle the 
horses, and said: “Let us return to the cottage of my 
uncle Mussad. There we will rest for a few hours 
and then start for Samarkand when the night is cool 
and the full moon shines.” So they rode back to Mas-i 
sud’s cottage, where Rustan lived with his uncle and 
his cousin Mirza, and when he came to the cottage, 
Rustan at once told his uncle of his plans. 

But Mussad shook his head when he had listened to 
them and said: “Be content with the gifts that Allah 
has already bestowed on you and do not tempt the dan¬ 
gers of the unknown to gratify your ambition!” And 
Mirza, with tears in her eyes, for she wished Rustan 
well, added her pleas to his. But Rustan was obsti¬ 
nate; nothing they said had power to move him, and 
when he saw him so steadfast in his ambition, Zanga 
grinned with satisfaction till all his teeth showed. 

When Massud and Mirza had left him, Rustan 


1 


THE DREAM OF RUSTAN 


" 

stretched himself out on his couch to sleep for a few 
hours before starting out on his journey. 

After he had slept and awakened refreshed and in 
good spirits, he called Zanga, who led out the horses, 
and they began their journey by moonlight. For 
many days they travelled and nothing out of the ordi¬ 
nary happened; but when only a few hours’ distant 
from Samarkand, they entered a great forest and, after 
riding a short distance, came to a defile among whose 
trees on one side flowed a river. In the defile a man 
whose aigrette of heron feathers was fastened to his 
turban by a diamond clasp, and whose silken jacket 
was embroidered with gold, was trying to defend him¬ 
self with a short hunting spear against an enormous 
serpent. It was the Sultan of Samarkand himself, who 
had been separated from his suite while hunting, and 
was now in danger of losing his life. 

Rustan drew his bow from the quiver and shot three 
arrows at the monster in rapid succession. But though 
each of his arrows hit the mark, they dropped with 
blunted points from the serpent’s scales, which were 
tougher than the toughest leather. Then Rustan was 
alarmed and, following Zanga’s example, he had al¬ 
ready turned his horse to flee, when a stranger broke 
from the brush. The sultan did not see his new de¬ 
fender, for at that very moment, exhausted by his ef¬ 
forts, he fell unconscious to the ground. In the mean- 






3 oo FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

while the stranger, who held a short, curved scimitar 
in his hand, rushed on the snake, with one blow sev¬ 
ered its head from its body and then dragged the sul¬ 
tan’s body out of the way of the threshing coils. Hav¬ 
ing done so, the stranger disappeared in the brush again 
and was lost from sight. 

It was at this moment that the unconscious sultan 
opened his eyes and seeing Rustan, who had drawn 
near, bending over him, thanked him with moving 
words for having saved his life. Rustan was an honest 
enough fellow at heart and his first impulse was to tell 
the sultan what had really happened. But Zanga 
nudged him violently to keep silence, and, yielding to 
his slave, he said not a word of the unknown who really 
was the hero of the day. He accepted the sultan’s 
thanks—which he had done so little to earn—and a 
splendid dagger with a jewelled hilt which the grate¬ 
ful prince drew from his girdle and presented to him. 
The sultan’s attendants now came up, and he rode off 
after making Rustan promise to seek him out at the 
palace in Samarkand. 

But no sooner had the prince and his suite disap¬ 
peared than the bushes again parted, and the unknown 
who had killed the serpent once more entered the 
glade. “Where is the man whom I rescued?” he cried. 
“He must have been some great prince, to judge by 
his attire, and will no doubt give me a fitting reward 
for having saved his life!” Rustan did not know what 


THE DREAM OF RUSTAN 


301 


to answer, but while he blushed with shame, Zanga 
said in a sneering voice: “Those who want rewards 
should be on the spot when rewards are distributed. 
The early bird catches the worm. Besides, you only 
finished what my master began. The serpent was al¬ 
ready half dead from his arrows when you arrived. So 
make the best of your loss and wish for better luck an¬ 
other time.” 

Then the unknown rightly grew indignant. “You 
and your master are no better than a pair of thieves,” 
he cried, “to try and take credit where none belongs 
to you!” Zanga whispered in Rustan’s ear. “You 
dare to call me a thief?” shouted the huntsman, and 
spurred his horse at the unknown. The latter, taken 
by surprise, tried to ward off Rustan’s blow with his 
scimitar, but the latter’s jewelled dagger—the grateful 
sultan’s gift—was already buried in his chest. He 
flung up his arms and did not move again. “A good 
riddance,” grumbled Zanga, and, taking the body by 
the feet, he dragged it a short distance and flung it into 
the river whose water at once carried it away. Rustan 
wiped his blood-stained dagger on the grass, and both 
continued on their way to Samarkand in silence. 

There they were received with every mark of honor 
in the sultan’s splendid palace. It was built of marble 
and surrounded by gardens of roses. Artists from far¬ 
away Bagdad had adorned its walls with texts from the 
Koran in golden lettering, and artisans from Damascus 


302 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

had carved its metal doors. After he had made him 
rich gifts of blooded horses and princely garments, the 
Sultan of Samarkand gave Rustan rooms in the palace, 
and made him captain of all his soldiery. Soon Rus¬ 
tan rode out of the city’s gate at the head of the sultan’s 
army and in a great battle which followed, he defeated 
the horsemen of the Khan of Tiflis, and rode back to 
Samarkand as a victor, with captured banners and a 
long train of pack-mules laden with the plunder of the 
enemy’s camp. Zanga lost no chance to praise his mas¬ 
ter’s skill and bravery, and Rustan seemed to have 
reached the height of fame, and began to look forward 
to the hand of the lovely Gulnare with all confidence. 

Yet none but Allah can foretell what a day may 
bring forth. The morning following his triumphant 
entry into the city, the body of the unknown was found 
lying on the river-bank, and thrust through his chest 
was the sultan’s jewelled dagger. There was no help 
for it; one wrong deed leads to another, and Rustan 
now had to add falsehood to assassination. But he 
brazened it out, denied that he knew anything about 
the dead man, and said he had lost the dagger in the 
forest, and been unable to find it again. His word was 
not questioned, and instead of finding himself in dan¬ 
ger of his life, he was now in greater favor than before. 

Yet Rustan was not satisfied. His ambition was to 
mount the throne itself, and this he could not do while 
the sultan lived. Now, the sultan had a trusted old 


THE DREAM OF RUSTAN 


303 


cup-bearer named Kaleb, who was dumb, and one day 
when Rustan had been talking over matters with 
Zanga, the latter said: “The thing to do is to put 
poison in a glass of sherbet and have innocent old 
Kaleb offer it to the sultan. Then we will say that 
Kaleb poisoned him and since Kaleb is dumb he will 
be unable to defend himself.” And Rustan made no 
objection to this horrid plan, for he had grown so used 
to thinking and doing evil, that he almost felt indig¬ 
nant at the sultan for not removing himself instead of 
putting him to that trouble. 

Zanga soon took advantage of a favorable oppor¬ 
tunity, and the poison was slipped into the draught of 
snow-cooled sherbet, which old Kaleb handed his mas¬ 
ter without suspicion, and when the latter died, both 
Rustan and his slave accused the old cup-bearer of the 
murder. Again Rustan was believed, and since Kaleb 
could not say a word to defend himself, he was cast into 
prison. Yet this new crime did not have the desired 
result. Rustan did not gain the throne. Gulnare was 
declared Sultana of Samarkand, and instead of marry¬ 
ing Rustan she merely continued him in his position 
as head of the army. 

Rustan, who as time had gone on, had grown more 
cruel and unscrupulous, now misused his high position 
to begin a reign of terror. Following Zanga’s advice, 
he began to gather gold to win the army and deprive 
Gulnare of her throne with the aid of the soldiers. 


304 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

He cast the rich men of Samarkand into prisons and 
did not release them until they paid him large sums 
of money. At last the relatives of the unfortunate 
Kaleb, whom he had also robbed of all their wealth, 
rose against Rustan. Followed by a great crowd of 
the people, they surrounded the palace, clamoring for 
justice and begging the sultana to hear them. The 
princess ordered Kaleb to be brought to the great hall 
and, in his excitement, the dumb cup-bearer for the 
first time found his voice and told the true story of the 
sultan’s death! 

The sultana at once called on the soldiers to seize 
Rustan; but rushing from the hall, followed by the 
evil Zanga, he flung himself upon a horse and escaped 
from a postern gate, closely pursued by the sultana’s 
infuriated guards. The angry horsemen at last caught 
up with Rustan in the same wooded defile in which he 
had committed his first crime. Surrounded on all sides 
by his enemies, his horse leaped into the river and—at 
that moment Rustan awoke in his uncle Massud’s 
cottage! 

At first Rustan could not believe his eyes when he 
found himself in the familiar cottage; but then he real¬ 
ized that Allah had sent him the dream he dreamt in 
order to show him that contentment was the true secret 
of earthly happiness. He shuddered when he realized 
the crimes which ambition might have led him to com¬ 
mit, and that in the end all those selfish plans based 


THE DREAM OF RUSTAN 


305 


upon blood and treachery would have come to naught. 

Rustan did not take the road to Samarkand that 
evening in the full of the moon with Zanga. Instead 
he called his evil slave to him, gave him his freedom, 
and told him he never wished to see his face again. 
And the following morning he whistled as he examined 
his bow and arrows and prepared to set out for the 
forest with a glad heart. His cousin Mirza, to whom 
he confessed his love, had promised to marry him, and 
he looked forward to a life of quiet and contented hap¬ 
piness untroubled by ambition and unstained by crime. 



THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE 


O NCE upon a time there were twelve jolly lans¬ 
quenets who had fought in the wars and had 
little to show for it but the scars of the wounds they 
had received in battle. Now, the wars being over for 
the time, they were wandering along the king's high¬ 
way, sad and in low spirits, because they did not know 
from one day to the next whether they would be able 
to get a bite to eat, and as they went along, they came 
across a little man in a grey coat who greeted them. 
“Whence come and whither away?” said he. And the 
twelve lansquenets answered: “We have come from 
the wars, and we are bound for wherever we can gain 
wealth, but have not as yet found the place!” To 
which the little man in the grey coat replied: “I will 
show you the art of gaining gold, if you follow me, 
and it shall cost you nothing.” 

Of course the lansquenets all wanted to know how 
they could gain gold, and the little man in grey said: 
“The way to gain gold is by means of the Wheel of 
Fortune, which obeys my command. Every one who 
rides the Wheel of Fortune is able to foretell the fu¬ 
ture, and discover the hidden treasures of gold and 

306 


THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE 


307 


silver buried in the earth. But I can let you ride it 
only on one condition—that you agree to let me carry 
one of you off with me.” 

Then the lansquenets asked the little man in grey 
which one among them he wanted to fly away with. 
But the latter only said: “Whichever one of you best 
pleases me. That will be shown later, because I do 
not know now who it will be.” When they heard this, 
all the lansquenets agreed to the condition, for each 
thought that if any one were carried off by the little 
man it would be one of the remaining eleven and not 
himself. Besides, they said to one another, all of us 
have to die some time, and since we have come safely 
through battle and pestilence we will win through this 
danger as well—with only one exception. 

As soon as they had given him their word to abide 
by his condition, the little man in grey led them to the 
place where the Wheel of Fortune stood. It was so 
large that when all were seated on it, they were three 
fathoms distant one from the other. They need only 
to remember one thing, said the little man in grey, 
and that was that none must look at the others while 
sitting on the Wheel: if he did so he would fall off 
and break his neck. And when they had all seated 
themselves in their places, the little man in grey seized 
the Wheel in his claws—for he had claws both on his 
hands and feet—and began to spin it around; and it 
took twelve hours in succession to spin the Wheel of 



308 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

Fortune around a single time. To the lansquenets on 
the Wheel it seemed as though they were floating above 
water as clear as a mirror, in which were reflected all 
their intentions, good and bad, and all of the people 
whom they saw were people they knew and could call 
by name. Above them was a sea of fire, from which 
hung long streamers of flame. 

After they had endured the Wheel of Fortune for 
twelve long hours, it suddenly stopped, and the little 
man in grey flew up through the fiery sea above their 
heads with one of their number; while at the same 
moment the others lost consciousness, and fell down as 
though stunned in a deep slumber. 

When they awoke, all the clothes on their bodies, 
even their very shirts, had grown so brittle that they 
fell to pieces at a touch, because of the great heat above 
the Wheel. 

So the eleven jolly lansquenets rose and each went 
his way, filled with the hope that now all the earth’s 
buried treasures of gold and silver would flow into 
his hands, and that he would live in ease and splendor 
the remainder of his days. But alas, the little man in 
grey had deceived them, and their expectations were 
not realized. They had sat on the Wheel of Fortune, 
it is true, but in spite of the fact, they remained as poor 
as they had been before, and never even saw a silver 
groat of all the treasure the little man in grey had 


THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE 


309 


promised them. So, if the little man in grey should 
ever meet you along the road, and offer you a ride on 
the Wheel of Fortune, tell him the story of the lansque¬ 
nets and see what he will say. 


SPIRITUS FAMILIARIS 


O NCE upon a time a horse-dealer and carter 
entered the gate of a large city. He had come 
a long way with eight horses he had to sell and they 
were worn out when they reached the town. One of 
the horses fell and gave up the ghost as it was entering 
the city gate; another dropped before the stable of the 
inn; and in the course of the next few days the remain¬ 
ing six horses also died. The poor man was broken¬ 
hearted: all he did was to wander through the town, 
with tears in his eyes, telling every one about his mis¬ 
fortune. Among those to whom he told his tale was 
another horse-dealer who, when he had heard it, said 
to him: 

“Do not worry, for if you follow my advice you will 
gain more than you have lost and will never regret it.” 
At first the man who had lost his horses thought these 
were idle words, but the other said: “No, no, my 
friend, do as I say and your loss will be made good!” 
Then he told him to go to a certain house which he 
pointed out, and ask for a certain company of wise 
men who met there. “When you have found those 
whom you seek,” he added, “tell them of your misfor¬ 
tune and ask them to aid you.” 

310 


SPIRITUS FAMIL1ARIS 


3” 


So the horse-dealer followed his advice, went to the 
house and asked a boy where he would find the com¬ 
pany of wise men who met there. The boy went off, 
telling him to wait, and in a short time returned and 
led him to a room where several old men were sitting 
at a round table. These men addressed him by name, 
and one of them said: “Eight horses of yours have 
fallen dead, and you are downcast and hopeless, and 
you have come to us for aid. Well, you shall have the 
aid you desire.” Then they told him to sit down at 
another table, and a few minutes later the old men 
handed him a little box with the following words: 
“Carry this with you wherever you are, and from this 
moment on you will begin to grow rich. But promise 
never to open the box. If you do so you will become 
even poorer than you were before.” So the horse- 
dealer gladly promised never to open the box, and 
asked what he was to pay for it. But the old men told 
him there was nothing to pay, though he had to write 
down his name in a large book which they laid before 
him. 

Then the horse-dealer set out for his home with the 
mysterious box. Now, this box, though he did not 
know it, contained a Spiritus familiaris, or a familiar 
spirit, which looks not quite like a spider and not quite 
like a scorpion, and never stops moving. It brings its 
owner good fortune, discloses hidden treasure, makes 
faithful friends for him, protects him in battle against 


312 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

iron and steel, and guards him against imprisonment. 
But a Spiritus familiaris is a good thing to get rid of 
before you die, for if you die with it in your possession, 
it flies away with you to the evil one from whom it 
came. 

No sooner had the horse-dealer entered his house 
than he found a bag of three hundred golden ducats 
lying on the table, which he spent for new horses. And 
before he left the town in which he had bought the 
horses, he found a great earthen pot full of old silver 
dollars in the stable where the horses had been kept. 
Wherever he went, he had only to put the little box 
on the ground, and if gold or silver money had been 
lost or buried anywhere near it, it at once gave out a 
radiant light, so that it was easy to dig up the treasure- 
trove. In this way, without ever doing wrong or com¬ 
mitting a robbery, the horse-dealer soon became very 
rich. 

But when he told his wife how their riches were 
acquired, she was frightened and said to him: “You 
have been given an evil thing! Heaven does not mean 
men to grow rich by such forbidden means, for we 
have been told that we must earn our bread by the 
sweat of our brow. So I beg you, for the sake of your 
immortal soul, to hasten back to the town and return 
the little box to the wise men who gave it to you!” 

The horse-dealer was moved by his wife’s words, 
and decided to do as she advised. He sent his servant 


SPIRITUS FAMILIARIS 


3*3 

to the town with the box to return it to the wise men, 
but the man soon came back with the news that the 
wise men were nowhere to be found, and that no one 
knew where they had gone. After that the wife 
watched her husband carefully to see where he kept 
the little box and finally noticed that he always carried 
it in a special pocket he had in his breeches. So one 
night she got up while her husband slept, took out the 
box and opened it. Out flew something like a buzzing 
black fly, which disappeared through the window. 
Then the woman put the cover back on the box, put 
the box back in her husband’s pocket, and went to sleep 
again without further worry. 

Yet from that hour on, all the horse-dealer’s good 
luck deserted him. His horses fell dead or were 
stolen; the corn in his barns spoiled or mildewed; his 
house burned to the ground three times, as fast as he 
rebuilt it, and all the wealth he had gathered disap¬ 
peared. In the end he had to toil even harder than 
before for a living. Yet he was more fortunate than 
he knew, at that. For the man who dies with a Spiritus 
familiaris in his possession can never reach heaven. 


THE FAITHFUL LION 


I T was during a voyage that he made into the land 
of the Turks that Duke Henry of Brunswick’s ship 
was overtaken by a storm and sank. Swimming 
ashore, the Duke managed to save himself, and soon 
saw that he was the only one aboard the ship who had 
escaped, and that the land on which he had taken 
refuge was an uninhabited island. He wandered about 
the island for many days—living on the berries he 
picked—his coat torn by thorns, and not daring to sleep 
at night for fear of wild beasts. 

Then, one day, he saw an enormous serpent fighting 
with a lion in the forest. The lion’s strength had al¬ 
most given out and the serpent was crushing it in its 
coils. Though Henry had but little good to expect 
from either of these savage creatures, still he could not 
bear to see so noble a beast as the lion perish. With 
a swift leap he seized the snake below the jaws and 
strangled it. Then the lion, freed from the crushing 
coils, crept to Henry’s feet, looked up at him and from 
that hour never left him. Every day it brought its 
friend various animals, the fruit of its hunting, and 
Duke Henrv dried their flesh in the sun and ate it. No 

314 


THE FAITHFUL LION 


3*5 


other wild beast dared come near the ship-wrecked 
man for fear of the lion, which was the largest on the 
island. 

Yet Duke Henry never stopped planning how he 
could leave his lonely island and find his way back to 
human beings once more. At last he built a raft of 
tree-trunks interwoven with reeds and put it into the 
water. He waited until the lion had gone hunting in 
the forest to do this. Then he quickly climbed aboard 
his raft and pushed off from shore. When the lion re¬ 
turned, earlier than usual, as though driven back by 
some misgiving, it found its master gone. With a roar 
of grief it ran down to the shore, and there saw its 
master far away in the distance, so far away that he 
looked quite small. Without a moment’s hesitation 
the lion sprang into the great, foaming billows and 
swam after the raft. The Duke saw it, and felt sorry 
for the noble beast, for he was sure the lion would 
perish in the waves. And soon, in fact, he did lose 
sight of him and was sad at heart. But suddenly the 
lion came to the surface again on the other side, beat 
the water with its paws in a last effort and reached the 
raft. Duke Henry drew it up to safety, and the lion 
lay down at Henry’s feet and slept for three days and 
three nights without moving, so exhausted was it. 
Then for many weeks man and beast suffered hunger 
and thirst and cold together, and were driven about in 
every direction by storms. And as time went on, one 


3 i6 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

bit of the raft after another was broken off and carried 
away by the waves. 

At last, one day, they drifted near a large ship. 
Duke Henry called and waved until the ship stopped 
and a boat was lowered. When they rowed to the raft, 
the people in the boat were not a little surprised to see 
a man and a lion living peacefully together on such a 
craft. They told Duke Henry they were ready to take 
him aboard, but they could not take the lion. And 
though Duke Henry’s grief was great he was forced to 
leave the lion behind. Yet no sooner had he boarded 
the ship, and no sooner had its sails been spread 
and it had gotten under way, than along came the lion, 
swimming in the water after it. The lion swam all 
day long, and Duke Henry was glad when night fell, 
so that he would not have to watch his faithful friend 
sink beneath the waves. But when the sun rose, the 
lion—though it was weak and had fallen far behind— 
was still swimming after the ship. Then Duke Henry 
begged the captain of the ship so stormily to save his 
friend, and promised such a big reward to the crew, 
that they finally agreed to take the lion aboard, which 
they did. 

A few days later the ship reached shore, and then 
Duke Henry had to wander through many countries 
to get back to his own land; and was stared at by the 
people in all the towns and villages through which he 
passed with the lion. No one/was willing to give him 


THE FAITHFUL LION 


317 ; 


a night’s lodging, because of his companion. In the 
forests he was often attacked by robber bands, but was 
always saved by his lion. Yet both were bleeding 
from many wounds, and both had fallen away and 
grown thin owing to their privations, before Duke 
Henry reached the capital city of his duchy. 

Duke Henry’s clothes were by now so tattered and 
torn that his bare skin showed through the rents and 
tears. His hair and his beard had grown so long and 
so thick that no one could have put a finger through 
them anywhere. And, lo and behold, when he entered 
his city of Brunswick, all was joy and festivity! The 
houses were hung with bright rugs and streamers, and 
the people were going about in their Sunday clothes. 
So Duke Henry asked an old woman what it was all 
about. “Duke Henry’s wife is celebrating her wed¬ 
ding to-day,” said she. “Seven years have gone by, 
and she has heard that the Duke is dead, and has given 
up waiting for him to return.” Then Duke Henry, 
followed by the lion, went through the crowded streets, 
where every one stared at him with wide-open mouthy 
to his castle. But when he tried to enter it the servants 
would not let him. 

So he seated himself by the castle wall, beside the 
door, and the lion lay down at his feet and rested its 
head on his knee. Only one servant felt sorry for him 
and brought him a bowl of soup. “Ihanks,” said 
Duke Henry, “but bring my lion something to eat, 


3 i8 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

tool” So the servant brought the lion some scraps. 
Again Henry thanked him and then said, “Now ask 
the bride for a goblet of the wine she drinks herself, 
in order to gladden my heart!” The servant hurried 
to the Duchess and told her what the beggar-man had 
said, and also that wherever he went a lion followed 
him. The Duchess was surprised, but notwithstand¬ 
ing she filled a goblet with wine and sent it out to the 
beggar. “Who may you be,” asked the servant, “who 
ask for this costly wine which is kept for the Duchess’ 
own use?” 

But Duke Henry drank and returned no answer. 
And when he had finished drinking, he drew his golden 
ring from his finger, dropped it in the goblet and bade 
the servant carry it back to the bride. 

When the Duchess drew the ring from the goblet 
and found that her own name and Duke Henry’s were 
engraved on it, she grew very pale, rose quickly and 
went to the castle wall to look at the stranger. And 
there she saw the torn and tattered beggarman sitting 
with his lion. At once she had him brought into the 
great hall, and asked him how the ring came into his 
possession. 

“It is my own ring,” said Duke Henry. “And I 
took it but now from my own finger, where I have worn 
it for more than seven years past.” When the Duchess 
heard this answer, she looked at the stranger more 
closely and recognized her husband, and was so over- 


THE FAITHFUL LION 


319 


come with joy and fear that she sank fainting to the 
ground. A great uproar arose in the hall. The bride- 
groom-to-be drew his sword and called to his fol¬ 
lowers; but the lion stretched him out on the ground 
with a single blow of his paw. 

Duke Henry once more took possession of his castle 
and lands and bore his wife no ill will because of her 
intended marriage—for she had honestly thought him 
dead, having had no news of him for seven long years. 
He was a protector of the poor and oppressed, and 
wherever he went his lion went also, so that walking, 
standing or sitting, he could always lay his hand on the 
head of the faithful beast. When after long years of 
happiness Duke Henry passed away, the lion lay down 
on his grave and refused all nourishment until it also 
died. Then the lion was buried near its master in 
the castle in Brunswick and a statue—if you go to 
Brunswick you may see it, for it stands to this very day 
—was raised above the place where it lies to honor its 
faithfulness. 


SAVITRI 


O NCE upon a time, in the land of Madras, there 
dwelt a king who had long hoped and waited in 
vain for the gods to give him a son. So, seeing that he 
prayed and did good continually, the goddess Savitri 
at last took pity on him and promised that at least he 
should have a daughter. And in due time the prom¬ 
ised daughter came into the world, with eyes like lotus- 
flowers, and was named Savitri in honor of the goddess. 
She grew up among the trees of the garden and was so 
lovely to look upon that she seemed to be the own 
daughter of the goddess herself. Yet, since everyone 
looked up to her with reverence, no man ventured to 
approach her with an earthly wish, and the king, her 
father, waited in vain for an opportunity to adorn her 
with the wedding robe. At last Savitri said: “Since 
no man comes to ask my hand in marriage, I will go 
to the sacred forest, where the holy hermits live, and 
select a husband myself.” So Savitri seated herself in 
a golden chariot and drove off into the sacred forest. 

The summer was already drawing to an end when, 
one day, the king of Madras was seated talking with a 
guest, the holy seer Narada. And as they talked, they 

heard the noise of chariot-wheels and there was Savitri 

320 


SAVITRI 


3 21 

returning from the forest. With reverence she pressed 
her forehead to her father’s feet and those of Narada. 
“Why is your daughter still unmarried?” asked Narada 
of the king. “It was to find a husband that I sent her 
into the forest,” answered her father, and then asked: 
“Savitri, my child, did you find the man whom you , 
sought?” Savitri hung her head and answered: 
“Listen, father! Far away from this land there 
reigned a king named Dyumatsena, who became blind. 
His son was no more than a boy. So his enemies de¬ 
prived him of his kingdom and he fled to the sacred 
forest with his wife and child. There I found him 
together with his son, Satyavan. And I have chosen 
Satyavan to be my husband.” 

Savitri’s father was overjoyed and his hands trem¬ 
bled with happiness. But Narada’s face was sorrow¬ 
ful and he said: “Alas, what sorrows Savitri unknow¬ 
ingly has prepared for herself!” 

“How so?” asked the king, much alarmed. “Did 
not Savitri know all there was to know about her hus¬ 
band’s family?” “Every word they told her was true,” 
replied Narada; “her husband’s father is a noble man, 
her husband’s mother a noble woman.” “And the 
son?” said the king. “Is there any fault to find with 
the son?” “None whatever,” was Narada’s reply. 
“The son is a noble youth. He is healthy, handsome, 
brave, knightly, pious and intelligent.” “The gods be 
praised,” said the king. “Alas, you need not praise 


322 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

the gods,” said the sage, “for the son has a defect which 
outweighs all his noble qualities. A defect that noth¬ 
ing can make good. Listen, O king, and I will tell 
you a secret which heaven has revealed to me! Satya- 
van must die in a year’s time.” For many minutes the 
king sat speechless, unable to say a word. He was so 
shaken that the seat on which he sat trembled beneath 
him. Then he softly whispered to Savitri: “My 
daughter, choose some other man.” But Savitri raised 
her hand and answered: “I chose but once. And I 
have chosen Satyavan. Whether he live long or die 
soon I have given him my heart.” “Alas, my child,” 
cried Narada. “You are as much to be praised as 
pitied.” The king sighed: “Take the man whom 
your heart bids you take, my poor, unfortunate daugh¬ 
ter!” he said and weeping, kissed her hair. 

Then father and daughter went to Dyumatsena’s hut 
in the forest. “I am poor, and I have been driven 
from my kingdom,” said the latter; “how can my son 
be a worthy match for your daughter?” “She has 
chosen,” was the king’s reply and the preparations for 
the wedding were at once begun. 

When her father returned home from the forest, 
Savitri laid aside her golden garments and put on a 
robe of woven bark. She lived peacefully and happily 
in the forest with her husband and his people, and 
they came to love her more with every passing day. 
They would not let her tire herself walking long dis- 


SAVITRI 


323 


tances, and cleared away every stone from beneath her 
teet. But though Savitri smiled happily and went 
singing through the forest, hand-in-hand with her hus¬ 
band, she never for a moment forgot Narada’s words. 
At night, when the moon shone, she would sit beside 
Satyavan while he slept, and look at him with tears in 
her eyes. How could the year have passed so quickly? 
She had only gone through the forest with her husband 
a few times, she had only sat with him beneath the trees 
once or twice. In four days the year would have come 
to an end. Then Savitri thought she could move the 
gods to pity and she vowed to stand motionless on one 
spot for four days and nights. She placed herself be¬ 
neath a tree, so close to it that it shaded her, yet so far 
from it that she could not rest against the trunk. Let¬ 
ting her arms hang down by her side she stood there 
and looked out into the forest. Her father-in-law and 
mother-in-law came running up and asked: “Why do 
you stand there?” And Savitri answered: “Do not 
ask; I have made a vow.” “How long do you expect 
to stand there?” “Four days and four nights.” “That 
is impossible; no human being could endure it. Your 
vow is too hard.” But Savitri did not answer them, 
but stood and looked out into the forest. She stood 
and never moved, as though she had been turned into 
wood. Only the wind played a little with her hair 
and lifted it. Night fell, but she did not even shift 
her weight from one foot to the other. When morn- 






3 2 4 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

ing came the wind had loosened her hair so that it 
hung down in torn and disordered strands about her 
face. Yet, though the wind seemed angry with her 
and shook her, she stood motionless, not even shifting 
her eyes from the point on which they were fixed. A 
storm arose and tore the clothes from her body, and 
yet she did not so much as lift a finger to hold them, 
but stood motionless as before. 

At last the four days and nights were over. Her 
father-in-law and mother-in-law went to Savitri and 
said: “Now your vow has been kept. Come and 
eat.’ 7 But Savitri, whose face was pale and white, an¬ 
swered : “If the wish comes true, to gain which I kept 
my vow, then I will eat. If not, I shall never touch 
food again.” In the meantime, Satyavan had slung his 
axe over his shoulder and was going deep into the 
forest. “Do not go alone,” said Savitri, “but take me 
with you.” Satyavan answered : “You have never yet 
gone into the very heart of the forest, where I work. 
It is a long, tiring way. How can you hope to travel 
it, weak as you are, without having eaten or slept, after 
standing motionless for four days?” But Savitri an¬ 
swered: “I am neither tired nor hungry. I have 
made up my mind to go, so do not try to hinder me.” 
Satyavan sighed and said: “If it be your wish, I shall 
not stop you. But first tell my parents so that I will 
not be blamed.” Then Savitri went to his parents and 
said: “My husband is going into the heart of the 


SAVITRI 


325 


forest to gather fruit. I cannot bear to be parted from 
him to-day. For a whole year I have always stayed 
here at home. And now I have a great longing to see 
the forest in bloom.” Dyumatsena looked at her and 
saw that a radiance illumined her face. Said he: 
“Do as your heart bids you do, and go. But you, 
Satyavan, take good care of your beloved.” So Satya- 
van and Savitri went into the forest, but though Savitri 
seemed to laugh, her heart was torn with fears. 

The forest appeared to be enchanted, so beautiful 
was it. All the trees were in blossom. The glittering 
peacocks they met seemed like flowers which had 
moved from their places. For a long time they went 
on. The path made wide curves where the creepers 
grew too thickly, and Satyavan supported Sivatri 
where the walking was difficult. At last they came to 
a place where Satyavan commenced to gather fruit, 
while Savitri sat in the grass. And suddenly Satyavan 
began to perspire and a keen pain ran through his fore¬ 
head. He came to Savitri and said: “Savitri, my 
whole body seems afire! My head pains me as though 
it were being pierced by sharp knives. I am so weak 
that I can no longer stand. I shall have to lie down 
and sleep for a little.” Savitri drew his head into her 
lap; but while he closed his eyes, it seemed as though 
her heart would burst into pieces, for she and she alone 
knew that the hour of fate had arrived. 

And at that very moment she saw a figure in a scarlet 


326 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

gown, with a crown on its head, whose eyes were like 
great red rubies, far greater in size than any human 
eyes, and as dazzling as the sun. In its hand it held 
a rope. The vision came over to Satyavan and stood 
beside him. Then Savitri quickly and carefully laid 
down her husband’s head in the grass, leaped up, folded 
her hands, and said: “You are no human being! 
You come from the heavens. Tell me who you are 
and what you wish?” And the vision opened its 
mouth and spoke: “Savitri, because you have been so 
faithful to your husband, I shall deign to answer you. 
I am Rama, the Prince of Death. And I must bind 
your husband and lead him off a captive.” But 
Savitri said: “As a rule, you send a messenger for 
those whom you want. How is it that to-day you come 
yourself?” “I have come myself this time because 
your husband is so handsome and so noble that he 
should not be touched by a servant’s hands.” And 
with those words he forcibly drew the soul from Saty- 
avan’s body, bound it with his rope, and took it off with 
him toward the south. And the body lay there, its 
radiance gone and sad to look upon. But Savitri, 
though her knees well-nigh gave way, followed after 
Rama. Soon Rama turned his head and said: “Go 
back, Savitri! Make ready Satyavan’s funeral pile!” 
But Savitri replied: “Wherever you take my hus¬ 
band, there I, too, must go!” Rama shook his head: 
“Your faithfulness is beautiful to behold. But go 


SAVITRI 


327 


back, Savitri!” But Savitri, however, paid no atten¬ 
tion to the god’s words. At last Rama again turned his 
head: “Make a wish and I will grant it. I will grant 
anything you ask save this one life alone.” Savitri 
continued to follow him and said: “Then I wish that 
Satyavan’s father may be cured of his blindness and 
see once more.” “Your wish is granted,” cried Rama, 
“and now go back!” But Savitri kept close to his 
heels. “Make a second wish!” cried Rama. “Then 
give back his kingdom to Satyavan’s father.” “Your 
wish is granted!” But Savitri did not cease to follow 
him. “Make a third wish!” said the god. “Grant 
that my father may have a son.” “Your wish is 
granted!” Savitri’s feet were bleeding, the boughs of 
the trees struck her, blood and perspiration streamed 
down her face. Her knees gave way, but even on her 
knees she still crept after R.arna and kept close behind 
him. Rama stopped. “Make any wish you choose!” 
he said. Then Savitri clasped his feet. “Give back 
his life to Satyavan again!” “Your wish is granted!” 
cried Rama, and he untied the cord which bound Saty- 
avan’s soul and disappeared in the forest. 

Panting, stumbling and falling a hundred times, and 
again picking herself up and pressing on, Savitri re¬ 
turned to the place where her husband's body lay. She 
flung herself on the ground and pressed her face to 
his. And the breath returned to his breast, the color 
to his cheeks. He opened his eyes and looked about 






328 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


him in astonishment. “How long I must have slept,” 
he said. “Why did you not awaken me? Where is 
the red man who dragged me off with him?” Savitri 
kissed him tenderly and answered: “To-morrow I 
shall tell you all about it. Now rest your head in my 
lap. See how beautiful the night is: the stars are all 
shining in the heavens.” “It is strange and ghostly 
here in the forest at night,” said Satyavan; “let us 
hasten home.” “We would not find our way in the 
dark,” said Savitri; “let us stay here, beloved.” “My 
head no longer aches, I feel strong and well again. 
Let us go home, for they will worry on our account,” 
answered Satyavan, and as he spoke his eyes still 
showed the terror of the dream he had dreamed. And 
as he thought of his parents, he raised his arms in his 
grief and began to weep aloud. Then Savitri wiped 
away his tears, rose, ordered her hair, and helped 
Satyavan up. She hung the basket of fruits they had 
gathered on a branch, and took his axe over her right 
shoulder. She laid her husband’s hand on her left 
shoulder, and put her right arm about him. Thus they 
felt their way home through the darkness. 

At home, at that selfsame hour, Dyumatsena had re¬ 
covered the light of his eyes and could see once more. 
He saw the table, saw his own hands, the house and 
the trees surrounding it, saw everything. He called 
his wife and pointed out everything to her, to show her 
how well he could see. But now he was so happy that 


SAVITRI 


3 2 9 


he could not wait for his son to return home. Why 
did he linger so long? “Q my son, my faithful daugh¬ 
ter! Where have you gone? Night has fallen and 
you do not return!” he cried. And while his wife 
comforted him, Satyavan and Savitri, their arms about 
each other, came from between the dark trees. A fire 
was lighted, and while all gathered around it, Dyu- 
matsena, drinking in the sight of his son and his 
daughter-in-law, said: “Tell your story, my children! 
I feel that we are surrounded by wonders.” Then 
Savitri, her eyes downcast, told all there was to tell, 
blushing with happiness. When the dawn gleamed 
rosy through the green branches, messengers came to 
the hut in the forest. “King Dyumatsena,” they said, 
“your enemy has been slain by his own soldiers! Re¬ 
turn to the kingdom which is yours, and reign over it 
once more!” They had hurried so to bring the good 
news that they fell exhausted to the ground and their 
foreheads had to be cooled with water and their chests 
rubbed. “All happens according to Rama’s word,” 
said Savitri, “and what has not yet happened will come 
to pass as he has promised.” And she went into the 
hut with her husband. 


THE TALKING SNUFF-BOX 


S it often happens in this world of ours, once upon 



a time there was a young man who went a-travel- 
ling. And, as he went a-travelling along the road, 
what should he happen to see lying in the dust one day 
but a golden snuff-box. He stooped, picked it up and 
no sooner had he opened it than the snuff-box cried: 
“Que quieres? Que quieres?” which, you might as 
well know, is Spanish, and is as much as to say: 
“What do you want? What do you want?” 

The young man was much frightened when he heard 
the snuff-box speak, for he had never heard a snuff¬ 
box talk before, and hurriedly shoved it into his 
pocket; fortunately, he did not throw it away. But 
as he kept on along the road he forgot his fear, and 
thought to himself: “The next time that snuff-box 
says ‘Que quieres?’ to me, I’ll know very well what to 
answer.” And after a while he took out the snuff-box, 
opened it and, sure enough, the snuff-box immediately 
said “Que quieres?” And no sooner had the snuff-box 
said “Que quieres?” than the young man quickly an¬ 
swered: “A hatful of gold!” And that very mo¬ 
ment he had his hat in his hand, and the hat was filled 
with gold, just as he had asked. 


330 


THE TALKING SNUFF-BOX 


33i 


You may well imagine that the young man was de¬ 
lighted, for now he knew that he would never be in 
need. And he travelled on and on and on, until at 
length, after wandering through various forests, he 
came to a handsome castle, in which dwelt a king. So 
the young man entered the castle and looked over every¬ 
thing as though he were the owner. Soon the king 
came up and asked him what he was doing there. “I 
am looking over your castle,” said the young man. 
“Wouldn’t you like to have one as fine?” said the king. 
The young man did not answer a single word; but 
when evening came and the sun was going down, he 
took out his snuff-box and as soon as he opened it the 
snuff-box cried: “Que quieres?” 

“I want a castle built on this very spot,” answered 
the young man, “with golden laths and diamond bricks, 
and filled with gold and silver furniture.” And no 
sooner had he finished than he saw—right opposite the 
king’s castle and facing it—the very castle he had de¬ 
manded. When he woke the following morning the 
king rubbed his eyes, and could not imagine where 
the magnificent palace he saw, which glittered and 
glistened in the sun, could have come from. And all 
his servants stood and stared with him. 

Then the king put on his royal robes and went into 
the new castle and said to the young man: “It is plain 
to me that you are a person of great power and able to 
do many things. Come over to my castle and meet my 


332 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

daughter, for I think it would be a good idea if you 
married her.” The young man had no objection, and 
went to the king’s castle, met and married his daugh¬ 
ter, and for a time they were as happy as could be. 

But the queen was very jealous of the young man 
and of her daughter. And when her daughter said 
that her husband had a talking snuff-box, which asked 
them what they wanted and gave it to them as soon as 
they told, she bribed one of her servants to steal the 
magic snuff-box for her. So the servant kept her eyes 
open and took good note of where the young man laid 
the snuff-box when he went to bed; and when she knew 
she crept into the castle in the middle of the night, 
while every one was asleep, carried off the golden 
snuff-box and brought it to the old queen. And the 
old queen almost danced with joy, so happy was she. 

No sooner was she alone than she opened the snuff¬ 
box, and sure enough the snuff-box at once said: 
“Que quieres? What do you want?” The queen had 
an answer ready: “I want you to take me and the 
king my husband and all our servants off in the new, 
handsome castle to the other side of the Red Sea, and 
leave my daughter and her husband here in the old 
castle!” 

So when the young couple woke up the following 
morning, there they were in the old castle and their 
snuff-box was gone. They looked and they looked, 
here, there and everywhere, but though they upset the 


THE TALKING SNUFF-BOX 


333 


entire castle searching for it, the snuff-box was not to 
be found. So the young man said: “There is no time 
to lose! I must set out at once to hunt for my golden 
snuff-box and my new castle.” He mounted his horse 
and took with him as much gold as he could carry, and 
once more set off travelling. And he travelled far and 
wide, searching in vain for his snuff-box in all the 
neighboring countries. At last he had spent all his 
money without discovering anything, but still he 
kept on, begging his way as he went, though his poor 
horse was lean and weary. 

Finally some one told him that he ought to go to the 
moon. It was a long journey to the moon, no doubt, 
but it was certain the moon could tell him where to 
find what he had lost. So the young man set out, and 
some one way or another—we need not worry just how 
—he managed to reach the moon. And there he met a 
little old woman who said to him: “What are you 
doing here? My son has one bad habit—he devours 
all living creatures that come here. If you follow my 
advice, you will turn right around and go back to the 
place from which you came.” 

But the young man told her all his troubles; how 
he had come into the possession of the magic snuff-box; 
and how it had been stolen from him; and how he was 
now penniless, far from his wife and deprived of every 
comfort. “Perhaps your son, in his journeys through 
the sky, may have seen my castle built of golden laths 


334 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

and diamond bricks, and filled with gold and silver 
furniture?” the young man ended. No sooner had he 
finished talking than the Moon himself appeared, and 
the first thing he said was: “There must be a human 
being here, for I can smell him!” But when his 
mother told him an unfortunate young man, who had 
lost all he had, had come to consult him, he was filled 
with pity, thought no more of making a meal of him, 
and told his mother to bring him out from the place 
in which she had hidden him. So the young man came 
forward and asked the Moon whether by some chance 
he had not seen a castle built of golden laths and dia¬ 
mond bricks, and filled with gold and silver furniture, 
for he was the owner of that castle, and it had been 
stolen from him. But the Moon shook his head, and 
replied that he had not seen it; but that perhaps the 
Sun had, for the Sun covered more ground and 
travelled a greater distance than he did. And he 
advised the young man to tell his story to the 
Sun. 

So the young man left the Moon and set out once 
more, pushing on as well as his horse’s weakness al¬ 
lowed, and begging his way as he went. At last he 
reached the sun in some one way or another—we need 
not worry just how—and when he got there, he found 
another little old woman, who also said to him: 
“What are you doing here? Get away as quickly as 
you can, for my son devours every Christian he meets!” 


THE TALKING SNUFF-BOX 


335 


But the young man said no, he would not go, because 
he was so unhappy it made no difference to him 
whether he lived or died. Fie told her how he had 
lost everything, and about his castle that had no equal 
in the world, for it had been built of golden laths and 
diamond bricks, and was filled with gold and silver 
furniture. And he told her how he had been seeking 
for it for a long, long time, and that there was no man 
so unfortunate as himself. Then the little old woman 
hid him in the house. But when the Sun came home 
the first thing he did was to cry: “I smell a Chris¬ 
tian and I want him for dinner!” But his mother told 
him of the unfortunate young man who had lost his all, 
and had come to ask his advice; and the Sun felt sorry 
for him and told his mother to bring him from his 
hiding-place. 

So the young man came out and asked the Sun 
whether by any chance while he was on his travels he 
had seen a castle without an equal, built of golden 
laths and diamond bricks, and filled with gold and sil¬ 
ver furniture. Then the Sun answered that he had 
seen no such castle, but that perhaps the Wind might 
have found it, for the Wind made his way into every 
corner of the earth, and there were few things hidden 
from him. If the Wind did not know where the castle 
was to be found, then no one could tell him. So the 
poor young man rode off again. 

He pushed on as well as the strength of his poor, 


336 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


tired horse would let him, begging his way as he went. 
And in some one way or another—we need not worry 
just how—he managed to reach the house of the Wind. 
There he found a little old woman pouring water into 
a number of hogsheads, who at once asked what he 
meant by coming to her house. Her son ate every¬ 
thing in sight, she said; he would soon arrive, roaring 
and blustering, and then he/had better look out for 
himself. But the young man said it made no differ¬ 
ence to him whether he were eaten or not. Then he 
told her how he had been robbed of his handsome 
castle that had not its equal in the world, with all its 
wealth; how he had left his wife to go and hunt for 
it; and how the Sun had sent him to consult the Wind. 
So the old woman hid him beneath the stairs and soon 
the South Wind came flying in as though he meant to 
tear up the foundation of the house. Thirsty as he 
was, he yet scented the presence of a Christian in his 
home, and before drinking begged his mother to bring 
out the creature she had hidden, for him to eat. But 
his mother told him to eat and drink what she had set 
before him, and then repeated the story of the young 
man’s misfortune and how the Sun had spared his life, 
and sent him to ask the Wind’s advice. 

The Wind in turn felt sorry for the young man, and 
told his mother to fetch him out from beneath the 
stairs. So the young man repeated his tale to the 
Wind: how he was hunting for his castle; and that if 


THE TALKING SNUFF-BOX 


337 


the Wind knew nothing about it then no one else would. 
He added that the castle which had been stolen was 
built of golden laths and diamond bricks, and filled 
with gold and silver furniture, and asked the Wind 
whether by any chance he had seen the castle some¬ 
where. 

Then the Wind said: “Yes, yes, I have seen it! I 
passed and repassed it to-day all day long, and was 
unable to blow off a single brick.” 

“Could you tell me where it is?” inquired the young 
man. 

“It is far, far from here,” answered the Wind, “on 
the other side of the Red Sea.” 

But the young man was not discouraged when he 
heard this, for he had already travelled so many weary 
miles. 

Off he set at once and—we need not worry just how 
—in some one way or other managed to reach the coun¬ 
try on the other side of the Red Sea. When he got 
to this country he inquired here and there to find out 
whether he could not get a place as a gardener on some 
estate. And he was told that the gardener of the beau¬ 
tiful castle had gone off, and that perhaps he might be 
taken on to fill his place. You may imagine how 
pleased and satisfied the young man was when he heard 
this. He went to the castle and asked whether they 
needed a gardener. And they told him yes, and took 
him on. 


338 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 

Then the young man settled down contentedly to his 
gardening work; but whenever he could he talked to 
the servants about their master and mistress, and their 
wealth and power. At length he talked to one servant 
and when he found she knew where the snuff-box was, 
he at once asked her to let him see it, telling her he 
was very curious to know what it looked like, and 
promising to reward her liberally if she would bring 
it to him. So one evening the servant brought him 
the snuff-box. When he had looked at it, she took it 
back again, and the young man made careful note of 
the place in which it was kept. 

That night, when all in the castle were fast asleep, 
he stole in and took his snuff-box again. Ah, how 
happy he was when he once more held the golden 
snuff-box in his hand! Imagine with what joy he 
opened it! And, just as it had always done, the snuff¬ 
box, as soon as he opened it, cried: “Que quieres? 
What do you want?” And the young man answered: 
“Que quiero? Que quiero? What do I want? 
What do I want? I want you to carry me back with 
my beautiful castle to the place where it used to stand, 
and I want you to take the king and queen and all their 
servants and set them afloat on a raft in the middle of 
the Red Sea!” 

And no sooner had he said these words than he found 
himself in his castle with his wife, and the castle was 




THE TALKING SNUFF-BOX 


339 


back in the very place where it had first stood. There 
he and his wife lived happily ever after, and whether 
the raft in the middle of the Red Sea ever floated 
ashore or not is something which never worried them. 













BROTHER AHMED 


O NCE upon a time, many, many years ago, there 
was a pious dervish or monk named Ahmed, who 
lived in a cloister of the Adawite brotherhood in one 
of the rose-filled valleys of Kashmir. Ahmed was a 
favorite with the other dervishes, because of his sweet 
and gentle disposition, and his willingness to oblige 
his comrades in all things. He spent his time in the 
study of the holy books, in fasting and in prayer, and 
his pious life seemed to make sure his inheritance of 
those gardens of delight with gushing fountains, which 
the Koran says shall be the reward of the faithful. 

Now, it chanced one day, after the morning prayer 
had been said, that Ahmed wandered forth from the 
cloister. In his hand he carried a book of the sacred 
traditions, and as he walked he read. In the book he 
found described the paradise of Allah, where his serv¬ 
ants recline on soft couches, while a cup is borne 
round among them from a fountain, by large-eyed 
houris, fair as the sheltered egg. And Ahmed read 
further that a hundred years of earth were no more 
than a fleeting moment of Allah’s paradise. 

When Ahmed read this, a doubt arose in his mind, 

for it seemed impossible—though with Allah all things 

340 


BROTHER AHMED 


34i 


were possible!—that a fleeting moment of paradise 
should equal a hundred long years of earth. Turning 
this thought over in his mind, he stood among the roses, 
while the butterflies darted hither and thither in the 
sunshine. 

And suddenly, as he stood there, a little bird flew 
down from the skies and began to sing with so sweet a 
voice that Ahmed let fall the holy book he had been 
reading in the fulness of his joy. All that he had read 
of the delights of paradise seemed like nothing at all 
compared to the song of this bird: a thousand sweet- 
toned flutes could not have given forth so enchanting 
a sound. And Ahmed wanted to catch the little bird; 
but it would not allow itself to be caught. It fluttered 
just ahead of him on snow-white wings whenever he 
stretched out his hands to seize it, and never ceased 
singing. And Ahmed, while he listened, nearly 
swooned with delight, and thought he saw the pearl 
and jacinth gates of paradise open before him. But 
the little bird kept fluttering in front of Ahmed. “If 
I only could catch hold of you,” cried the dervish, 
“you dear little bird! You have so charmed my heart 
with your song that I would rather hear you than sit 
on a throne in the Caliph’s golden palace in Bagdad! 
What is the human voice compared to yours!” And 
as he said this, the little bird suddenly flew off and was 
lost to sight. “Alas,” cried Ahmed, “to think that you 
have flown away, and that I shall never hear you sing 


342 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


again! All my joy is turned to sorrow and my whole 
heart mourns!” 

Then, while Ahmed stood looking after the little 
bird, the mid-day call to prayer sounded from the min¬ 
aret of the cloister. Ahmed flung himself down on 
the ground with his face turned toward Mecca, and 
when he had said his prayer, hastened back to rejoin 
his brethren. He knocked at the cloister gate, sur¬ 
prised to think he had been absent so long. A dervish 
who acted as door-keeper, but whom Ahmed did not 
recognize, came and peered through the little window 
set in the upper part of the door. Ahmed called out 
to him: “Dear brother, let me enter!” But the door¬ 
keeper shook his head. “And who may you be?” he 
asked. “Why, I am your brother, the dervish Ahmed,” 
was the answer, “and the head of our brotherhood and 
all the brethren know me well.” The door-keeper 
shook his head once more. “Whence come you? I 
have never seen you before,” he replied. “Do not 
make a mock of me,” said Ahmed, “for Allah has no 
love for the scornful!” Then the dervish who kept 
the door cried: “For thirty years and more have I 
dwelt in this cloister, yet never have I seen your face 
before!” Ahmed could not believe his ears. “I left 
the convent only a few hours ago, after morning prayer. 
A little bird lured me to follow it with its song, but 
flew away before I could catch it.” 

The door-keeper was annoyed: “You are a stranger 


BROTHER AHMED 


343 


to me and I cannot let you in,” said he firmly. “Call 
my brethren; they will recognize me!” begged Ahmed, 
and when, after much pleading, the door-keeper went 
off to do so, the poor dervish thought to himself: 
“Why do they turn me away? Now I am sorry I fol¬ 
lowed the bird. But no, I speak foolishly, for I feel 
no regret. The song of that little bird filled my soul 
with a joy beyond words.” 

Meanwhile the door-keeper had gone to the chief 
of the brotherhood: “There is a man at our gate who 
claims to have lived in our cloister for forty years; but 
I know he is not telling the truth, for I have never laid 
eyes on him before,” he said. 

“If Allah has sent him hither,” said the chief der¬ 
vish, “we will treat him like a brother.” And, turning 
to some of the others, he said: “Let us go to the cell 
of our brother Khaled. He is very, very old and had 
been a dervish of this cloister for more than a hundred 
years. We will ask him if he knows a dervish named 
Ahmed.” 

And when they told the ancient brother that a der¬ 
vish named Ahmed stood without the gate and asked 
to be admitted, saying he had lived in the cloister for 
the last forty years, the old man said: 

“I remember that while I was still a novice, on pro¬ 
bation, there was a Brother Ahmed in our cloister. 
He was ever reading the Koran and other holy books, 
and his piety shone like crystal, such a holy man was 


344 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


he. Yet one day he left the cloister after morning 
prayer and was never seen again. The brethren 
mourned him, thinking that Allah had taken him to 
paradise. He must be the man who now stands before 
the gate.” 

“How long ago was it that this happened?” asked 
the chief dervish. 

j 

“A full hundred years ago, at least,” replied the old 
man. 

Then the head of the brotherhood had a book 
brought in which were written the names of the breth¬ 
ren of the cloister who had died for three hundred 
years past. And it proved to be exactly one hundred 
years since Brother Ahmed had followed after the little 
bird. To him, however, the hundred years had seemed 
no more than a fleeting moment of time. Not a thread 
of his gown was faded; not a hair of his head had 
grown grey. And as he stood among the dervishes 
whose faces were all strange to him, Ahmed knew 
what he had doubted when he read it in the book of 
the sacred traditions—that a hundred years of earth 
were no more than one fleeting moment of Allah’s 
paradise—was true. 


SOURCES 


✓ 

1. This story represents the development of a motive found in 

Rink’s Eventyr og Sagn of Groenland. 

2. Together with Nos. 9, 11 and 13, this tale has been retold 

from the anonymous Spanish Cuentas de calleja (Tales of 
the street). 

3. This tale, found in Walter E. Roth’s “An Inquiry into the 

Animism and Folklore of the Guinan Indians,” has been 
combined with other Indian motives in the telling. 

4. After the original in F. V. Esquilbecq’s Contes indigenes de 

V Ouest-Africain Frangais. 

5. Retold after the original in Sir John Malcolm’s “Sketches of 

Persia.” 

6. After the original in Henry Carnoy’s Contes frangais. 

7. From the Liao Chat Chih I, of P’u Sung-Lang (b. 1622). 

The tale as retold is based on the translation by Prof. Herbert 
A. Giles, in the latter’s “A History of Chinese Literature.” 

8. Retold after the original in Carl Meinhof’s Afrikanische 

Marchen and H. Chatelain’s “Folktales of Angola.” 

9. See No. 2. 

10. Retold after the original in Paul Ernst’s Die Prinzessin des 

Ostens und andere Novellen. 

11. See No. 2. 

12. Retold after the Grimms’ original in their Kinder-imd Haus - 

marchen. 


345 


346 FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AWAY 


13. See No. 2. 

14. A free English retelling of J. K. A. Musaus’ Chronika der drei 

Schwestern. 

15. Freely retold, together with No. 31, after the colorful originals 

in Julien Vinson’s Le Folklore du Pays Basque. 

16. Retold from the anonymous T'ung Tschu Kuo Tze (History 

of the Various Countries under the Tschu Dynasty). 

17. Retold after the original version by Maria de la Luz Morales, 

in her Tradiciones Iberas. 

18. Freely retold after the original Polish fairytale included in 

Louis Leger’s Contes populaires slaves. 

19. After Aarne’s (Verzeichnis der Marchentypen) presentation of 

the original Serbo-Croatian tale. 

20. Retold after the original in J. Berze Nagy’s Nepmesek (Hung. 

Folk Fairy Tales.) 

21. Nos. 1 and 3 have been retold after the originals in Deutsche 

Sagen, by the Grimm Brothers; No. 2, after the original in 
K. Maurer’s Isldndische Volkssagen; No. 4, after the original 
in Grimm’s Kinder-und Volksmdrchen. 

22. Freely retold after the Mille jours et un jour by Petis de la 

Croix, in collation with a German version by Curt Morek. 

23. This fairytale, practically the only Inca fairytale which has 

come down to us, has been retold after Sir Clement R. 
Markham’s version of the Quichua original. 

24. Freely retold after an oral Dutch traditional tale, Der Frauen - 

sand, to be found in the Grimms’ Deutsche Sagen. 

25. An original fairytale by the author of the present volume. 

26. Retold after Fr. Grillparzer’s Der Traum ein Leben, dramatic 

fairytale in four acts. 


SOURCES 


347 

27. Retold, together with Nos. 28 and 29, after originals in the 
Grimms’ Sagen. 

30. In retelling this old Hindoo legend the charming variant by 

Wilhelm Schmidtbroon has been followed. 

31. See No. 15. 

32. This lovely little tale has been retold after an original in Leo 

Greiner’s Das kleine alte Novellenbuch , with substitution of 
an oriental for a medieval European background. The mo¬ 
tive is one found in the fairytales of various nations. 
























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